The Women In His Life
by LornaCat
Summary: Directly follows 'A Bridge To You', a reset story set right after season 5. In this sequel, James & Juliet travel to Los Angeles to meet Clementine, but Cassidy isn't the only woman from Sawyer's past there to greet him at the door. UPDATE: Now complete!
1. Road Trip

Thanks to everyone that read A Bridge To You and asked for this sequel!

Summary: Directly follows A Bridge To You, a reset story in which James and Juliet remember both timelines. In this sequel, they are on their way from Miami to Los Angeles to meet Clementine for the first time. This story will continue to explore the James/Juliet relationship, their struggle with their dual pasts, as well as throwing James into a situation where he's surrounded by all the important women in his life. It's his own fault for being into such strong women with attitudes and baggage, hehe...

* * *

**The Women In His Life**

* * *

It was James' turn to drive again. They were on an interstate in Arizona, somewhere between Tucson and Phoenix, and they'd spent the last half hour in comfortable silence, watching the dotted white lines of the otherwise empty road go by. James couldn't wait to get to the next motel, since Juliet made her stance on front-seat sexual favors very clear the first time he'd asked. He'd also been working up the courage to ask her something very important, and he'd decided that a long speech and explanation wouldn't suit either of them. For this, short and simple was the way to go.

"So." said James. "Blondie."

"Yes, James?" Juliet answered him wryly.

"...You wanna get married?"

Juliet turned to him with a curious smile. He kept his eyes on the road, and she let the silence grow. She did it to make him sweat, since she knew that confident smirk of his was hiding an anxious hope. He turned only his eyes in her direction, eyebrows raised as if to say..._You gonna make me beg, or what?_

"You know..." she said slowly and matter of factly. "I kinda do."

Juliet was rewarded for her answer with a wide grin. He turned, and saw her looking at him with a genuine smile, the one not many got to see.

"Well alright." James said in celebration. He pressed his foot on the gas pedal a little harder. Now he _really_ couldn't wait to get to the motel.

* * *

The green signs with white lettering were few and far between, and the next one they encountered told them how far away they were from Las Vegas. Juliet was driving now, and James found the scenery outside the car nowhere near as beautiful as the woman behind the wheel. He leaned back, slouching between the edge of his seat and the passenger door, gazing at her while she smirked and pretended to ignore him.

"We could stop in Vegas on the way." said James.

"On the way?" Juliet repeated, skeptical. "That would add another day to the trip."

"Yeah, just one day. I figure Elvis is the reverend of choice for a couple of time travelers like us."

James saw Juliet's chuckle, but she kept her eyes on the road.

"You're just stalling." Juliet teased.

She tried to make it sound innocent, just a little joke, but James could decipher the hidden meaning behind her words. She was afraid it really would be just a distraction, something to keep them occupied while James avoided facing his past. James realized, a little late, that the fact that he just couldn't wait to be married to Juliet might seem to her like he was rushing to get it over with, or that she wasn't worth careful planning. In reality it was a desperate need to claim her, to have one more way to prove that they were together forever. James had analyzed her seemingly flippant reaction in a matter of seconds, and he was already planning a reply that would erase all her worries and leave her without a doubt as to how big a deal it was for him, but she spoke up again before he got the chance.

"Maybe on the way back." Juliet conceded, a convenient non-decision that left all their options open. Knowing Juliet, James had to admit that was good enough for now.

* * *

"We should find Hurley and get you a managing position at Mr. Cluck's Chicken Shack." Juliet said, deadpan.

"Settin' our sights high, are we?" James responded, throwing a smirk her way before turning back to the road since he was back behind the wheel.

"It's all about who you know." said Juliet, breaking out a smile. The current topic was finding James a job in the real world, and James thought it was about time to turn the tables on Juliet.

"So I'm gonna supervise a team of greasy, teenage fry cooks. What about you? I assume you don't want to open a Volkswagen garage."

Juliet laughed. "No, but at least I have something to fall back on."

"You gonna go back to the fertility thing?"

At the mention of that particular f-word, Juliet's laughter and smile slowly faded into something less comfortable. It was a subject she'd been avoiding ever since returning home, distracting herself with Rachel and Julian instead. The crises and nightmares she'd faced in both timelines still haunted her. Upon returning home, she'd only gone to the doctor at Rachel's behest. The mere thought of a medical office now made her sick to her stomach. There were things she hadn't told Rachel, things that she hadn't told James about yet. She tried not to think about them at all, and she wasn't sure how to go about putting them into words when she could hardly bear them as thoughts.

"I don't think I could go back to medical research." she said. "Not after all I've seen."

"What about a clinic?" James asked, trying to be supportive. Juliet smiled, and shook her head. "Come on," James said, verbally nudging her. "I can vouch for your bedside manner. And you're good with patients, too."

Juliet chuckled. "No, it's..." she started, and stopped soon after. "Some...things happened, on the island. When you weren't there."

James stopped smiling, humor gone. What would Juliet keep from him? Things that would upset him, that's what. "Did someone hurt you?" James asked her, an edge creeping into his voice.

"No." Juliet answered definitively. "I mean, of course, I got hurt, but you know all of that."

"Then what? Don't keep me in suspense, Blondie. You got me ready to kick someone's ass."

"I'm sorry, it's hard to talk about."

James glanced at her as she turned away, hiding her serious, beautiful face from him. Juliet turned to look out her window, to watch vast expanses of what looked like nothing rush past. She realized she knew exactly how that felt, to be filled with a great big scary nothing. It was how she'd felt before James came along. Then Juliet realized that James was there with her, there _for_ her, and if there was anyone that would listen, anyone that could understand, it would be him.

"One of Ben's people," said Juliet. "One of the women, became pregnant. And she asked me to perform an abortion."

Silence. James knew how Juliet felt about not being able to help those women carry to term, how she felt responsible for every one of their lives no matter how many times he told her it wasn't her fault. It wasn't his burden to lift, he knew that, but he'd always at least tried to reassure her. This was something entirely different. He waited for Juliet to continue.

"I refused to do it, but she kept begging me, _please_. It was awful. We both knew I wouldn't be able to save her otherwise, but I couldn't bring myself to do it, to say yes. And then, I had one of those days when I was so angry at Ben I was ready to lash out any way I could. And getting rid of that baby started to seem like a way to get revenge on him and I just-" Juliet stopped. She turned her face away from James, twisting her neck as far as it would go, trying to get away from his gaze and from her own thoughts. She pressed her lips together, trying to make the lump in her throat vanish through sheer force of will. It didn't work. When Juliet's voice returned, it came out as a sad whisper. James strained to hear her over the sound of the car's engine and the wind whistling past. "I didn't blame her for asking. But, when you spend so much time, _years_, trying to create life, the idea of taking it away...I mean, they were both going to die if I did nothing, but..."

James held his breath, hoping and praying that Juliet's story wouldn't have an ending as tragic as he was imagining.

"I didn't do it." she said aloud, wiping at the tears that had defied her will and escaped their ducts. "She lost the baby that night. A miscarriage. So, not only did I get to find out that I would actually consider doing that to a patient, but another baby was lost anyway."

"Jules-"

"I know what you're going to say, James. And I appreciate it, I really do. But I feel the way I feel, and I know you understand that, so can we just leave it at that for now?"

"You want me to pull over?" James asked her gently.

"No, just keep driving. This trip isn't about me, remember?"

"Juliet, when it comes to the two of us, it's always gonna be about you. You remember_ that_."

Juliet smiled through her tears, turning back to James like she always did. She leaned over the gear shift to give him a hug and a big kiss on the cheek, leaning back before he even knew what hit him.

"Hey, no fair." James chuckled, grabbing another kiss before she returned to her seat. The topic of discussion was changed, and James had Juliet smiling again. The next sign they passed had directions for Los Angeles.


	2. Surrounded

"You havin' second thoughts?" James asked Juliet.

"No." Juliet lied. "Are you?"

"Nah." James lied too. "I was just waitin' for you to open your door first."

They'd arrived, and they were parked across the street, staring at Cassidy's house together just like James had stared at Rachel's. James had spent the last four days wondering what Clementine's reaction to him would be. Juliet was more concerned about Cassidy. She tried to imagine the situation from Rachel's point of view, a single mother allowing the father of her only child to meet that child for the first time after so many years of no contact at all. Juliet tried, but from everything James told her about Cassidy, the two women were nothing alike. Rachel was so warm and understanding, and Cassidy...well surely she had her reasons to treat James the way she did, but Juliet couldn't help but feel like James' bodyguard going into this. She already felt herself getting defensive on his behalf, especially when she saw how nervous he was. It was that protective streak that made Juliet reach for the door handle, instead of shoving James out of the car and burning rubber back to the motel like she wanted to. James was the face of the operation, but he needed Juliet as backup.

They walked toward the house together, close but too self-conscious to hold hands. The house seemed nice enough. Not palatial, but decent for a single mom in LA. James raised his hand to the doorbell, and hesitated. Knowing he couldn't back out now, and knowing Juliet wouldn't let him if he tried, he jammed the button with his finger and took a step backward. He felt Juliet's hand on his lower back, private island code that meant everything would be okay if they just kept their heads on straight.

"Hey." she said softly, and he turned his head to see her looking up at him, smiling. "It's going to be fine."

A few seconds later the door swung open. Cassidy stood before them, her eyes stuck to James like she hadn't expected him to show up at all. She smiled smugly. He'd shown up, but she could still gloat a little.

"Well, look who it is." she said. "Absentee father of the year."

"What - no hug?" James replied sarcastically.

"Make that decade." Cassidy corrected herself. She narrowed her eyes, as if she was searching his face for a reason not to trust him. "You look hungover."

"I've been sitting on my ass for eight hours straight, forgive me if I'm not ready to do a cheer."

"Watch your language in this house." Cassidy said sternly, right before lightening up and contradicting herself. "And why the hell didn't you fly?"

"Long story." said James, smiling snidely. Cassidy smiled back, equally insincere, and then she turned to his companion. "Is this Juliet?"

Juliet had been thrown off by their sarcasm. She couldn't tell if it was friendly or whether they really hated each other - with those two, it could have been both - but she recovered quickly. "Yes, hello." Juliet said politely, stepping forward and offering her hand for a shake. "Juliet Burke."

Cassidy let Juliet's hand hang in the air for a few seconds longer than was normal for a friendly greeting, and Juliet knew they'd already gotten off on the wrong start. It was obvious Cassidy had a certain view of James. That perception of the man he used to be would color any opinion she formed of the woman that would follow him on a road trip this involved and this personal. Juliet knew she could have introduced herself as Sawyer's Latest Whore, and it would have had the same effect. "Cassidy Phillips." she finally replied, taking Juliet's hand. Their grips were evenly matched. _1:1 _Juliet couldn't help but think, before reminding herself that it was not a competition, no matter what Cassidy's reaction to her ended up being. "Come on in, make yourselves at home." Cassidy moved aside, and Juliet stepped into her home. The next thing she saw, the woman standing in the living room, was a surprise for sure, and for the first time since deciding to come along, Juliet felt definitively like she shouldn't have come at all. James was stepping in behind her, and she could almost feel his reaction.

"Hey." Kate said sheepishly, with a tight-lipped smile that matched her tone. Juliet's anxiety peaked at that moment, and her internal point counter now flashed a big, red zero. Cassidy had backup too.

* * *

_You have got to be kidding me._

That was James' first thought upon seeing Kate in Cassidy's house. It made sense, them being such good friends and all, but facing Cassidy and meeting Clementine was stress enough for him without having to worry about Kate, and Juliet's reaction to him worrying about Kate, and figuring out if Kate remembered everything they did, and-

"Oh, I forgot to tell you." Cassidy said, interrupting his thoughts and sounding almost pleased by it. "Kate's been stayin' with me, 'til we get our business off the ground."

"You're in business together?" James asked, too distracted to notice the incredulity of his tone. Juliet noticed, and regretted it for him.

"Yes..." Cassidy said. She'd prepared an entire spiel for those that didn't believe in the dream of two hard working women, but she skipped it when she noticed James looking around the house like something might jump out at him at any second. "She's still at school." Cassidy explained, referring to Clementine. "As crazy as it might sound, you're early."

Kate smiled, even chuckled a little, when she saw James visibly relax at the news. The reaction was similar from Cassidy, and James suddenly felt like a zoo exhibit.

"Take a seat." Cassidy told them, a little warmer and more sympathetic after seeing James in such an awkward situation. "Kate made muffins. You can eat some while we catch up."

James, Juliet and Kate watched Cassidy walk toward the kitchen. Kate took one of the arm chairs, curling up with her feet underneath her. It was obvious she felt at home. Juliet sat on the far side of the couch, and James took a heavy drop into a seat beside her.

"Does she know what happened to us?" James asked Kate in a hushed tone, once Cassidy was out of ear shot. No use burdening her with their thoughts on string theory and time travel if all she cared about was the muffins.

"...Sort of." Kate said, implying the real answer was too complicated to cover in a few hushed seconds.

"Does she believe it? Or understand it, even?"

"Do you?" asked Kate, making a face they'd all made at some point in the past three years. It was the face one made when they'd been trying to make sense of an experience that made no sense at all - pained, sheepish, and sympathetic. She was as lost as they were.

Cassidy poked her head into the living room. "Iced tea okay for everybody?"

Kate looked up at her, smiled and nodded. Cassidy gave James and Juliet a chance to ask for something else, but iced tea was fine for them too. It was quiet for a moment after Cassidy disappeared a second time. They all stared at the carpet, until Kate looked up at James, and caught him staring at her with a funny look.

"What?" asked Kate.

James shook his head in disbelief. "Of all the weird shit that's happened to us, the thought of you making muffins with the mother of my child ranks up there with the weirdest."

Kate closed her eyes, stifling a laugh as Cassidy returned to the living room with a full tray.

"What's so funny?" Cassidy said in a playfully suspicious tone.

"James doesn't think I can bake." said Kate.

"Oh? You've got a lot to learn about your little Freckles here." Cassidy teased him as she set the tray down on the coffee table. Juliet wondered if Cassidy knew that name was the password to instant discomfort. It sure wiped the smile from Kate's face, and the familiar, silent exchange of guilt and jealousy was made between Freckles and Blondie. Whether Cassidy realized what it did or not, it blew right by James, who was just relieved to get a little good humor from Cassidy. Of course, that didn't last long. They ate their muffins, and drank their iced tea, making small talk about their cross country trip, but eventually their hostess got to asking what she really wanted to know.

"So." said Cassidy, leaning back in the chair next to Kate's. She clasped her hands and crossed one leg over the other, tapping her foot in the air as the corners of her mouth turned up in another smug expression. "How's business these days?"

James grew serious, disappointed to lose the good vibe so soon. "I'm not doin' that anymore." he said, but Cassidy didn't miss a beat.

"How long has it been since the last?" she asked.

"Three years." James answered immediately.

Cassidy's smile didn't reach her eyes. "I don't know, James. Something tells me you might be embellishing a little, to make yourself look better. I'd rather hear the truth now than get it later, and I'd rather hear it from you than a stranger. Or a cop."

James sighed again, recalling the words of a former cellmate. _A nosy woman's worse than a cop_. _Smarter, too._ "I was workin' one a month ago, my first in three years. But it stopped before any money exchanged hands."

"Who stopped it, you or them?"

"Me." James said, his voice getting harder the deeper her interrogation went. He wanted points for showing up, dammit.

"Don't get mad." said Cassidy. "I need to know this stuff. Just 'cause you walk in here with a nice lookin' blonde doesn't mean you get a free pass on all you've done. There's a reason I never tried to contact you again, even for child support. How do I know this isn't just another con?"

"Cass." Kate, the good cop, said softly.

"I get it." said James. "Fair's fair. But honestly, I didn't come here for you, Cassidy. I came here to see Clementine."

"Yeah, well she's the one with the trust fund. You been short on cash lately? Lookin' for a way to get your money back?"

"Cass." Kate said again, this time with urgency.

"James doesn't want your money." Juliet said calmly, her quiet temper getting the best of her manners. Cassidy turned to her, not pleased at the interruption.

"And why should I trust you any more than I trust him?" Cassidy replied.

"Because I have a doctorate in medical research. I don't need to hang around a con man for money." Juliet didn't like the way her own voice sounded. In fact, she kind of hated it. The words had slipped out without enough thought, and it sounded exactly like something Edmund would have said. She hadn't meant to brag, but the way Cassidy was talking to him brought out the self-righteous bitch in her. _I hope that was worth the satisfaction. _Juliet's conscience tutted. _Because if she didn't hate you already._..

"Cassidy." Kate said a third time. Cassidy turned to her with an impatient look. "Help me take these dishes to the kitchen." Kate suggested, standing and picking up two empty glasses. Cassidy glared at her. "Please??" Kate prompted.

Finally, Cassidy stood, taking the tray off the coffee table and leading the way.

* * *

"What?" Cassidy hissed when the door to the kitchen closed, dropping the tray onto the counter without much care. Kate put the glasses she carried next to the sink and turned to face her friend.

"I know you have your issues but you have got to give him a chance. After all I told you about him and what he did on that island -"

"I know, I know." Cassidy said petulantly, crossing her arms. "But it's pissin' me off."

"I thought you were excited for this." Kate reminded her.

"I was." said Cassidy. "I _am_. It's just..."

"Things have a way of getting complicated when he's involved?"

"You said it, sister."

"He's trying, Cass. He wouldn't put himself in a situation like this unless he really wanted to do right by you."

"You mean do right by Clementine."

"You _and _Clementine."

Cassidy sighed. "Why do you have to be so wise and level-headed about this? You're makin' me feel bad."

Kate smiled. "Sorry." she said, playing along. Cassidy smirked at her.

"Don't be. I'm glad you're here. And I promise I will try not to bite his head off this time."

"You'll try?"

"Yeah, I'll try. But we should probably bring some more dishes, in case you have to call a time out again."

* * *

"I shouldn't have come." said Juliet, assuming she'd ruined everything.

"Don't get all dramatic, she's just blowin' off steam."

"Did you hear what I said to her? That's it, there's no recovering from that."

"Hell of a comeback though, wudn't it?" James teased her. "Relax, this ain't gonna end just 'cause you felt the need to mention you're a fancy doctor that don't need no _man_ to pay her bills." James smiled when he saw Juliet's pained reaction to his interpretation of her words. She knew he was teasing, but she still felt awful. Somehow she'd managed to insult everyone at once.

"I'm not fancy." said Juliet.

"I think you are." said James, to which Juliet smiled, almost laughing. "There, I got you smilin' again. This is gonna work out just fine."

It wasn't a reversal of roles that either of them expected to have on this trip, but suddenly it seemed a confident James was the one comforting a nervous Juliet. They sat quietly until Cassidy and Kate returned from the kitchen.

"Here. Have another muffin." Cassidy said, tossing the refilled basket onto the coffee table with all the enthusiasm of a stroke victim. They took their seats, and Kate gave Cassidy a subtle look. Cassidy turned to James. "Do you have any questions about Clementine?"

"Uh..." James stalled, no idea where to start. "When does she come home from school?"

"I'll pick her up in an hour." said Cassidy. "She gets tutored after regular school hours on Wednesdays. Just for math, though. She's already reading at a fourth grade level. That's what the teachers are tellin' me, anyway. My opinion, she's already better than the average high schooler."

"She likes books, huh?" said James, smiling a little and seeming tickled by the very fact.

"She loves 'em. I can't get her to turn the lights out at bed time, and when I do she always manages to find the flashlight no matter where I hide it."

"See?" Kate said to James. "You already have something in common."

Kate and Cassidy took turns telling stories about Clementine. Juliet listened and analyzed, as she'd unfortunately been trained to do, their distinct styles of sharing that information. Cassidy of course had the role of the proud mother, bragging about the smallest of accomplishments. Based on the collection of gymnastics trophies and framed certificates that decorated the living room, it was clear she deserved the praise. Kate was also proud of her, the little girl that called her Auntie. Juliet noticed that Kate was really making an effort to relate it all back to James somehow, trying to make the distance between them seem a little smaller. Juliet also began to notice that Cassidy kept glancing her way whenever Kate was speaking. The first few times, Juliet averted her eyes, looking to James as he spoke, or a spot on the carpet, or the baubles on the coffee table. And then, when Cassidy's glances became more like stares, Juliet decided it was time to drop the shy girlfriend routine for good. She stared back, and it was Cassidy's turn to look away. Juliet waited for a natural break in conversation to cut in.

"Cassidy?"

Cassidy turned to her, and gave her a nonchalant _What?_ with her eyes.

"You keep looking at me." Juliet said, putting it simply. "Why?"

"You..." said Cassidy, giving her a once over as she shook her head slowly. "Are not at all what I expected. Not for him." she added, nodding in James' general direction.

"And why is that?" Juliet asked calmly. Her tone was pleasant, but everything else about her was unsettlingly confrontational. Kate recognized the look, having been on the receiving end of it on more than one occassion.

James sighed uncomfortably. "I believe she's implying that you're out of my league." he said, his tone wry.

"Yeah, I got that." said Juliet, still staring hard at Cassidy. "I just wanted to hear her reasons."

Cassidy stared back at her, unphased. Two immoveable forces trying to figure each other out. Just when James and Kate thought they couldn't bear the silence any longer, Cassidy turned to James.

"Can I talk to you in private?"


	3. I Flinch When I See You

_Thank you all so much for reading and extra special thanks for reviewing, I'm absolutely thrilled that you liked the last chapter!_

* * *

James made a face, like he was trying to keep from rolling his eyes, as he pushed himself up from the couch and walked around the corner to the hallway of Cassidy's small, one-story house. She followed him until they were at the end of it, where James turned around abruptly. He kept his voice quiet and controlled for the sake of the women they left in the living room.

"I'm gonna tell you this once, Cassidy: you can tear me down all you want, but leave Juliet out of it. That woman's been through hell -"

"And I haven't?" Cassidy shot back, eyebrows raised in question.

James caught himself, and remembered who he was talking to. It was easy to see Juliet as his damsel in distress, since she'd been the one to curl up in his arms and cry her past out on his shoulder. Cassidy never got the chance to be vulnerable, not with a child depending on her to be strong enough for two at all times. James knew that Cassidy's hell had mostly been his fault; stealing all her money and making her a single mother hadn't exactly been a gift, and a prison sentence was no substitute for a heartfelt apology. The odd thing was, despite the words that came from her mouth, Cassidy didn't even seem that upset with him. She seemed unsure of herself, unsure of James, surprised to see how much he'd changed since the last time they'd spoken. There was a softness beneath her harsh attitude, as if she wanted to stay angry at him but found it was too late to hold a grudge. After hearing Kate's stories and seeing him with Juliet, she'd begun to change her stubborn mind about him. Instead of causing their conversation to escalate into a fight, her quick retort made his face fall with the full realization of what she'd gone through all alone. Seeing the guilt take over his features she almost felt bad for him. Now her stubborn mind was just plain confused.

Cassidy's own features softened, though she remained guarded. "I don't have a problem with Juliet." she assured him. She shrugged one shoulder, and the smirk returned. "I kinda like her. You said it yourself, she's way out of your league. And she's obviously got you wrapped around her little finger."

"You like her?" said James, his mind obviously boggled. "Then what was all that out there?"

"You know me, James. I push, I test boundaries. I wanted to be sure she could handle some trouble."

"Believe me, she can handle more than you could ever throw at her."

"Good." Cassidy said defiantly. "Cause, honestly? I was trying to figure out if she was your next victim. I figured, being a seasoned patsy myself, I could at least try to warn her off."

"How many times do I gotta tell you that's over and done with?"

"You can't tell me, James. You have to show me." Cassidy said, crossing her arms. "The last time we saw each other you were in prison blues, screaming at me to leave you alone, that you didn't have a daughter. I don't understand what happened to you between then and now. All I can tell is that something changed your mind. Something changed _you_."

_Not something,_ James thought. _Someone_.

Juliet, Kate, Jin, Miles, even Hugo...they were all people he'd met in another life, the truest of friends and two intense lovers. Poor Cassidy had mothered his only child, and he'd pushed her to the side as if she was nothing. _Why couldn't you change for me?_ was her question now.

"I'm sorry, Cass." He knew he didn't have time or words enough to tell her how sorry he was for what he'd done, and that nothing would make up for the years he'd missed. Cassidy looked him in the eye, wishing she had a way to know for sure he wasn't just saying it, because if he really meant it...it was a good start. "Is that what you had to tell me in private?" James asked her. She shrugged, still agitated.

"I need to be sure you're serious about this, about being part of Clem's life. If I let you see her once I gotta know that you'll be back on a regular basis."

James felt a weight lifted when she said it. All he came to ask for is what Cassidy had wanted all along.

"I'll be back as often as you let me. I'm gonna prove it to you, Cass. I'm committed. Just gimme a chance."

Cassidy stared hard at him now, and he pleaded to her with his eyes, both knowing it would be a great leap of faith for her to do what she swore she'd never do - to trust James Ford ever again. So James was greatly relieved when Cassidy nodded.

"Okay." she said, very softly, as if she'd lost a little bit of herself in the process.

* * *

During that conversation, Juliet and Kate sat in awkward silence. They waited, pretending there was nothing to talk about so they could eavesdrop on James and Cassidy. Down the hall, Clementine's parents spoke in low voices, aware they had a potential audience in the living room. Juliet and Kate strained to hear the voices, and once in a while their anxiety spiked when they thought the voices were growing tense, but then they'd fade back to a murmur, dampened by the walls. It was so quiet in the living room Kate was a little startled when she heard Juliet's soft voice. The confrontational edge she'd used on Cassidy was gone, and she sounded more like she had during the comically mismatched day they'd spent together at the motor pool.

"I know you don't owe me any favors," said Juliet. "But I do have one question."

_I don't owe you any favors?_ Kate thought with intense wonder. She felt she was always regarding Juliet that way. When they'd first met, Kate couldn't believe how cold she was, how she could live with herself and the things she did in Ben's name. Then, after returning to the island and seeing the depths of Juliet's strength and humanity, she hadn't been able to comprehend why Juliet kept helping her. Kate realized now that she wasn't the only woman who still felt guilty for all the things she'd done in the past, but she couldn't express that in words, not in Cassidy's house, and not with her tongue still tied by this awkwardness. So instead she nodded, giving Juliet the go ahead.

"What did you tell her about me?" Juliet asked, sounding pessimistic even to her own ears. Kate shifted in her seat, stealing a few seconds so she could think about her answer. Juliet was watching Kate, waiting and looking as if she'd just asked a bee to sting her.

"I told her you can be hard to read sometimes," said Kate. "And that you shouldn't be judged too quickly."

Juliet nodded, the sting not as painful as she'd thought it might be. She didn't expect more, so she was surprised when Kate kept going.

"I told her," said Kate, shifting in her seat again and still avoiding eye contact. "That when it comes down to helping someone else or helping yourself, you'll always choose someone else, because you're a truly good person. And I told her you saved our lives, more than once. Even when we didn't deserve it."

Juliet's heart was beating fast, from nerves and because she felt exposed. It was odd, to say the least, hearing that kind of praise from Kate. She'd always assumed that, no matter what, Kate would resent her. She forgot Kate had been there, right next to James, when she fell.

But she wouldn't take the compliment that easily.

"Did you happen to mention that I held you at gunpoint the day we met?" asked Juliet. She felt a bit of comfort in the smirk that appeared on her lips as she said it.

"I left that part out." Kate replied, smiling sheepishly. "I didn't think Cassidy needed to hear any gun stories."

Juliet smiled too. "We do have quite a few of those, don't we?"

"I'm also no one to judge." Kate added, glancing at the carpet as she tucked her hair behind her ear. Saying it had embarrassed her somehow, like she suspected Juliet knew exactly what she was talking about. Juliet did know, having read Kate's file along with everyone else's, so she asked another question.

"Did you tell her I handcuffed us together and beat you up in the jungle?" Juliet winced a little as she thought of following that particular order of Ben's. It wasn't one of her prouder moments. She wasn't sure why she was bringing it up, other than as a subtle way of apologizing.

"No, I left that part out too." Kate replied, her smile widening at the absurdity of it all. "But...I think it was the other way around." she reminded Juliet with good humor. "I got my licks in. Your shoulder...?"

"You're right," said Juliet as they laughed quietly. "So _that's_ why I flinch when I see you." Juliet almost laughed again, but she caught herself, processing the words after saying them instead of before. "Oh god, I don't flinch when I see you, I was just joking-"

"I know." Kate reassured her, her knowing smile tinged with sadness because she knew there was no easy way around the awkwardness they felt around each other. The room grew very quiet again, until Kate spoke up, softly blurting out what she'd been thinking for a long while. "I'm glad you found each other." Kate said, her voice carrying the dangerous weight of sincerity. They made eye contact, and Juliet felt a tingle in her cheeks. She hoped she wasn't blushing. It sounded like Kate was going to say something else, something important, but she didn't get the chance. Juliet saw Kate's eyes shift up and away from her, and she knew before looking that James and Cassidy were back.

"Alright, you can all relax now." Cassidy said breezily as she crossed the room. "I've decided to stop being such a bitch about everything."

"I guess the house rule about watching our language doesn't apply to you?" James teased her.

"My house, my rules." she said, smirking.

Once again thrown off by their sarcasm, Juliet brought a smile to her face to be polite. Kate smiled too, though neither woman's eyes matched their mouths. Their conversations always seemed to end unfinished, and the fact that James and Cassidy made up in private hadn't done much to diffuse the tension that still lingered in the living room.

* * *

_I know that didn't answer many of your questions but there's more to come, I'll try to answer them all eventually! The next chapter will be more from James' point of view, with a section about each of the women in his life, from the old to the new :)_


	4. The Women In His Life

_Sorry for the wait! Thanks for reading and for all the support, I hope you enjoy this interlude before James meets his daughter. :)_

* * *

The Women In His Life

* * *

Cassidy

She was the first woman to give him what he deserved: a good punishment. He'd gotten so good at duping people out of their life's savings, wrecking homes and shattering people's faith in each other that he'd forgotten what it was like to have the joke played on him. He should have known, when he started teaching Cassidy some of his trade secrets, that she wasn't going to lay down and die of a broken heart after he left. He should have known that, no matter how in love with him she'd come to be, she would still have respect enough for herself to admit her mistake and turn him in. She was confident enough to call him on his bullshit, brash enough to visit him in prison and demand he write a letter to the daughter he never knew he had, and strong enough to carry on without him when he refused.

The extremes of their relationship, the sweetness and the betrayals, were what played most through their minds when they looked at each other. Not all the sweetness had been a lie, but Cassidy didn't know that. She couldn't reconcile the lies with the I-love-you's, so she'd settled on believing he was heartless. But James really had fallen for her, and that was why he'd gone through with the long con after all - because he'd believed she deserved better than what he could give her, and she deserved to know how bad a man it was she'd taken up with. Maybe then she wouldn't make the mistake ever again.

In prison, James had time to think about what he'd done, and while he never regretted taking her money and leaving, he regretted being stupid enough to get her pregnant. He'd created a life, flesh and blood he wasn't going to allow himself to see. James knew a kid didn't need poison like Sawyer in his life, and he couldn't risk making that kid feel anything but hate for him. So he buried his feelings on the matter even deeper than the ones he hid for the man he was to kill. When James stood up and told Cassidy he didn't have a daughter, it was a warning to Clementine to never waste a thought on her father. Because, back then, James knew he didn't even deserve that much.

* * *

Kate

She was the second woman to give James what he deserved: a hard time. He didn't know how it happened, but she'd seen through his every-man-for-himself attitude. Even when he succeeded in playing her, she always managed to figure out the true intentions behind all of his island cons, and when she looked at him with disgust in her eyes, he knew why. They were too much alike. He'd done some very bad things too, and she didn't understand why he wasn't trying to make up for it.

While Kate's life had descended into a swirling chaos that propelled her forward and away, always running from people whether they helped or hurt her, James had always kept a steady hold on his mind. No one saw his pain or self doubt, the hatred he felt for himself and the character he'd created. No one but Kate. So of course, he fell in love with her. He loved her with a big silly love that made him forget about his own self preservation. He loved her because she needed someone to tell her that all she'd done didn't make her a bad person, and who better to tell her than the man who'd done worse. The man who'd hoarded medical supplies became a hero, all for a girl who couldn't sit still. It felt strange, but she gave him attention, and it felt good when she called him out for his bad deeds. Someone had to.

They'd crashed into another world, and when she was around, James started to think that maybe the past shouldn't matter anymore. He would have been happy to live in the barracks with her, but Kate's love was a faraway love, a mirage that dissolved if you got too close. Cassidy thought he was a coward for jumping off the helicopter, but James and Kate both knew he'd merely realized he could never really have her. Kate was married to her grief, and in a sad way, James understood that completely. Whatever Kate was running away from, whatever she was running toward, she needed to be let go to get to it. She deserved to be let go, to find her way on her own. After jumping into the water, swimming to shore and seeing the column of smoke where their precious boat had been, James didn't know what he deserved anymore.

* * *

Juliet

She was the soft-spoken revelation, the woman he needed before he even really knew her. His feelings for her had snuck up on him, slow and silent, until he realized he didn't just need her around, but needed _her_, all of her.

Kate had kept her share of secrets, but James could always read them in her eyes. Juliet kept her private thoughts so far down deep inside that, at first, James thought she might hate him. Their relationship began as enemies, Sawyer and Kate versus the creepy, tazer-happy blonde and her violent Other-mates. Once they were forced to work together, they came together like they'd been partners for life. The perfect fit, and stronger together than they were apart. Her willingness to follow him into danger, even if it was only because no one else had a better plan, filled him with the confidence necessary to make the tough decisions. James wondered sometimes what would have happened if his plans hadn't worked out, as they always, magically, seemed to do. _Maybe Juliet would have ended up with Miles_? James would think as they laid in bed together. Then James would look at the head of blonde hair that rested on his chest after they made love, he'd remember the way she looked at him, the things she said to him and the way she made him feel, and he'd know they were meant to be together.

At first they thought it was only for the comfort, a stress-relieving screw when the days made them tense, but the more time they spent together the more tender it became. It was when Juliet tried to break up with him that he realized what their relationship had become. She'd become frightened of the possibilities a long term engagement, but her feeble attempt at explaining herself out of an already ridiculous situation only served to show James how much he wanted - not just needed, but wanted - her completely. It was too late for her too; she was in love. So they accepted that strange sort of defeat. They settled in, and settled down, and then something really strange happened. They were happy. Not just relieved to have someone, but truly content. Contentment lifted the guilt and the pain from their hearts, and the heavy black clouds of the past were finally swept away. They could still hear the thunder, but it was raining somewhere else.

James found happiness with Juliet, and he let himself have it, because every man deserves to be loved. Sure, he was still using an alias, but LaFleur was a character he could be proud of, one with permanence, and one that was as close to the real James as he could get after years of acting like someone else.

With Kate, he found a way to care about someone else. With Juliet, he learned how to care about himself, because Juliet deserved a big, real love too.

* * *

Clementine

The man that called himself Sawyer may have been Cassidy's hardest life lesson, but he'd also given her an incredible gift. Clementine was Cassidy's entire life, her reason for being, and her reason for getting up in the morning, though she'd be the first to admit it would be nice not having to get up so damn early.

James felt like he was stepping off a cliff, because to him, parenthood was an abyss with no distinguishing features or landmarks to guide him. What was he supposed to say? What was he supposed to do? Would she like him? Hate him? Care enough about him to feel either way?

It shocked him to learn that after all this time, Cassidy was giving him a gift in return - a clean slate.

_"Try as I might, I couldn't hate you, James. I always had this secret hope you'd sort things out and come back for her. So, just in case it ever happened, I figured it'd be better if she didn't know nothin' at all. I never said a bad word about you."_

It probably should have eased his worried mind - there was no hole he had to dig himself out of - but the thought of forming a relationship with a little girl that he knew next to nothing about still scared the living hell out of him. Guns, flaming arrows, hydrogen bombs...he found himself longing for a concrete, life-threatening challenge. He'd never had to worry what an Other or a Hostile thought of him; it was always clear. Clementine was a _girl _for god's sake, how on earth were they supposed to relate? _Maybe I can con her into liking me,_ he'd think, but when he thought about the women that now surrounded him - not one, not two, but three women who could see right through him - he knew that wouldn't just be wrong, but impossible, too. He was going to have to be himself, the self Juliet showed him it was okay to be. Hopefully, for Clementine, that would be enough. She deserved a good daddy, and now James deserved a second chance to be one.


	5. Father's Pride

When Cassidy left the house to pick Clementine up from school, she didn't take a car. The elementary school was just a few blocks away, and she walked her to and from every day.

"Should I stay...?" Juliet asked as the other three made for the door.

"No, we can all go." Cassidy insisted, sounding pretty happy about it. "You can tell me what kind of medical research you're into on the way." she said. Juliet recognized the good-natured smirk, having worn the expression so many times herself. It was Cassidy's way of saying I forgive you.

They walked two and two, with Cassidy and Juliet in the lead. James and Kate hung back, half listening to their conversation, relieved to see their friends getting along after their tense moment in the house. After a minute or two, the silence between them became too obvious, and it felt odd not to say something.

"Feels weird," James remarked. "Walkin' along with you and not getting rained on or hit in the face with branches every two seconds."

Kate chuckled. "Can't say I miss it." she said. She smiled, but James didn't miss the true meaning of the words or the dark tone with which she said them. James and Juliet were lucky; it wasn't everyone that had found their way to a happy ending through the island.

"Have you heard from anyone else?" asked James. "Seen anybody...?"

"No," said Kate, rushing into the answer before he could mention any names. There was one in particular she wasn't ready to hear yet. "I mean, before you called Cassidy, I wasn't even sure any of it was real." she went on. "Or, maybe I didn't want it to be."

"Are you serious?" they heard Cassidy say, the volume of her voice rising just enough to distract them. "That's amazing!"

"Yeah," Juliet agreed, smiling proudly as she spoke of her nephew. "A healthy baby boy. Well, he's not a baby anymore. He's almost six now."

"Wow. You better watch out James," Cassidy said, turning her head to look back at him. "Your girlfriend's a genius. She might figure out she doesn't need you after all."

James smiled wryly, and Juliet caught his eye when she turned back to see his reaction. He felt a familiar tug at his heart, a pleasant reminder that they were in love. The two women in front turned back around, resuming their conversation.

"She's happy you're here, you know." Kate said once she was sure Cassidy wasn't listening. James puzzled only for a moment, until he realized who she was talking about.

"You sure about that?" James asked Kate.

"Yeah, I am. She'd never admit it, and she's scared witless that you'll let her down, but she's happy too."

"Good to know I instill such confidence." James said, not really complaining since he knew he still had to earn it. "Does Clementine know I'm meetin' her today?"

Kate smiled and nodded. "Cassidy didn't wanna tell her, just in case you didn't show up. But she knows."

James nodded, seeming to grow more uptight with every step. Juliet turned to glance at him over her shoulder again, smiling softly. She had the uncanny ability to always know exactly when he needed her support.

"Is she excited to meet me?" he asked.

Kate smiled, the sound of James' nervousness touching a deep part of her heart. It was a rare occassion, seeing him so outside his comfort zone. He probably didn't even realize how worried he looked. "Yeah." said Kate. "She kept talking about all the stuff you're going to do together, and how she'll finally be able to tell those girls at school she wasn't 'conceived by immaculate reception'."

James laughed at the verbal mixup. "I thought you said this kid was a reader?" he asked jokingly.

"She is!" Kate insisted defensively, grinning at James. "But she's still seven years old, and she's never been to Sunday school." James really laughed at this, causing both Juliet and Cassidy to look at them over their shoulders. He simply smiled, some of his tension relieved, and said:

"Are we there yet?"

* * *

The last bell rang and, in the space of a minute, the schoolyard went from a tranquil silence to barely controlled chaos. There was suddenly a sea of children, all different heights, pouring from the doors and filling the space between the school and the parking lot. They shouted and laughed, creating a familiar din that brought back vague memories of his own childhood, the innocent years before the tragedy. Suddenly feeling foolish for not studying a picture at the house, he realized he didn't even have a mental picture of her, and he probably wouldn't recognize her until Cassidy or Kate pointed her out. He'd always wondered what it would feel like, seeing her for the first time. With no idea what to expect, he'd found it difficult to imagine any scenario.

They stood at the edge of the school yard, waiting for Clementine to appear in the crowd. Then, out of a group of five girls, one caught sight of the four of them, and her eyes lit up with recognition. She'd seen her mother and Aunt Kate, standing next to the man she'd been waiting all day to meet. The little girl broke away from her friends, running toward them with a grin on her face. James felt it then, the first stab of father's pride. It was instantaneous, and he couldn't have described it if he tried, but he already loved her completely. She was in blue jeans and dirty sneakers, and her pink t-shirt had a pair of rhinestone butterflies across the top. Her blonde hair was pulled back in a ponytail, she was beautiful, and he found it hard to believe that he'd helped create her, that half of her was made from him. He couldn't yet comprehend how something so perfect, pretty and innocent had emerged from the ruins of his and Cassidy's relationship.

Oblivious to her father's inner turmoil, Clementine ran right up to Kate and nearly tackled her with a hug.

"You always run to her first!" Cassidy complained, though she did so light-heartedly, just to tease.

"I see you every _day_, Mama." Clementine reminded her, even though she saw Kate every day now too since she'd moved in. There was that little attitude Kate had told him about. She released Kate from her death grip and went to her mother next, hugging her just as tight.

"You remember what we talked about last night?" Cassidy asked her daughter, smoothing back strands of hair that had fallen from her ponytail. "About who you were gonna meet today?"

"Yeah." Clementine replied. She took a step back and glanced shyly at the newcomers.

"Well," said Cassidy, looking over at James. She felt about as nervous as he looked, which was very. "Here he is. This is your father, Clementine. You remember his name?"

"James Ford?"

"That's right, and this is his friend Juliet."

"Nice to meetcha." Clementine said, stepping right up and sticking her hand out for James to shake. It struck him as a mighty brave thing to do. Kate's heart nearly burst as James reached for Clementine's hand. Remembering the man she'd met on the beach and seeing him as he was now, humbled and willing to try being a father to his child, it was just too much. Cassidy was still so unsure, but Kate knew, like Juliet knew, that this was right. This was where they were all supposed to be.

They walked back to Cassidy's house in a different formation. Cassidy and Kate, arms linked, took the rear. Juliet walked next to James, and Clementine straddled the sidewalk and grass on the other side of her father, hogging the conversation like a professional. She told James about every subject she had at school, about every friend she talked to, and every little activity she had planned.

"...and Heather didn't believe me, she said a daddy that leaves doesn't ever come back, but I told her mine was different, 'cause he never left, he just never came around. She still didn't believe me though, so I told her I didn't care and we'd see who was right this afternoon. I'll prolly call her tonight and make you say hi, so she knows you're real. I don't want to be mean though, 'cause we're on the dance team together and it's not as fun when we're fighting or not talking..."

James remained quiet, trying to take it all in at once and hoping he wouldn't be quizzed on anything later. He was still in awe of her, but he would learn soon enough that he didn't need to treat her like a porcelain doll. His daughter was a rough and tumble wise cracker just like her dad. She could give as good as she got, sometimes worse since she was a child and therefore more prone to honesty than an adult.

"So can I call ya Daddy?" she asked suddenly.

James felt Juliet squeeze his hand, and he just knew all the women around him were smiling. The question might have thrown him, if he didn't have a back log of smart ass responses, always at the ready.

"You can call me anything you want," said James, "'cept for Jim-Bob."

Clementine giggled at the sound of it.

"Careful, James." Cassidy warned him wryly. "Power of suggestion."

"Jim-Bob." Clementine repeated, a cheshire grin spreading across her face now that she had something over him. James smiled but let out an exaggerated sigh, letting her have a moment. He should have known any child of his would go straight for the annoyingly appropriate nickname.

"You'll learn." Cassidy said behind them.

"She says that about _everything._" Clementine whispered so only James and Juliet could hear.

"I know," said James in the same hushed tone. "She used to say it to me all the time."

"Hey, no secrets." Kate called out, causing Clementine to let out a most mischievous giggle. She knew her aunt was teasing her - it was how Cassidy always warned them when they were sharing a secret of their own - but Clementine still looked up at her father for approval. With one smile, James let her know that she could tell him any secret she wanted, and he'd keep it for her.


	6. In The Middle Of The Night

_I've had this little bit written for a while now; I was waiting to add more, to make it a more substantial chapter, but I had to update SOMETHING after tonight...I can't believe what happened on the show, because it was all I'd been hoping for and more! Ch2 of A Bridge To You HAPPENED, except way better and way more beautiful and just...wow. I'm kind of in awe of the show, and so so happy. I don't know if this story can even come close to a FRACTION of the beautiful awesomeness of the show, but I'll keep writing anyway :D_

* * *

James awoke on his back in the motel bed with a start, heart pounding and feeling sick to his stomach from fear and loss. He immediately turned to his left to make sure Juliet was beside him. Seeing her there, her back to him as she slept on her side, he felt immeasurable relief. He set his head back down, reaching out to put his hand on her hip. She was real, and she was really there. His stomach stopped churning, but he was still shaking from the nightmare he'd just escaped, the one where he had to watch her fall, over and over again.

"Christ..." James muttered under his breath, shocked to hear the shake in his voice as well. He breathed deeply, shoving the overwhelming urge to cry to a deeper place, a place he couldn't feel. He let his love take over instead, and he turned onto his side to move closer to her, putting his arm around her waist and pressing his body against hers. Then he heard a sniffle, and Juliet raised a hand to her face. She was wiping away tears, he already knew.

"Juliet?" James said, voice low. He lifted his head, trying to see her face. She gave in easily, turning in his arms and burying her face in his chest. She was almost silent, as if making a sound while she sobbed would send them back in time. Her shoulders shook, and James held her tight, making a wordless promise that he'd never let go. A minute passed before she calmed herself, the steady rise and fall of his chest helping her catch her breath. He kissed the top of her head and pet her hair, not asking any questions. He knew, maybe even more than she did, that she just needed to let it out, and being there for her while she did it made him feel better.

"I think we had the same dream." James admitted once her shoulders relaxed. He brushed her cheeks with the backs of his fingers, sweeping the tears away, and kissed her forehead.

"I love you." Juliet whispered. wiping the rest of her tears and turning her face up so their lips could meet. She kissed him deeply, pressing her body against his. After a while it was clear she didn't want to go back to sleep, not yet.

"You wanna...?" James said, prepared for both yes and no.

"Yeah." Juliet said, her voice as soft as a wispy cloud against blue sky. He didn't need to be told twice. They made love, in the middle of the night, because they needed each other, and because they both remembered what it felt like to live without the ability to do so.

Because, now, they could. And it felt so good.

* * *

_Next time: Clementine has a birthday party, and someone kinda freaks out about babies. Hope to see you there :D_


	7. Happy Birthday, Clementine

"Jesus." James muttered. "This place is huge."

A stranger gave James a funny look as he and Juliet, hand in hand, passed through the doors of the gigantic chain book store. The stranger was going in the opposite direction, and if he'd had the time he might have asked if James had ever been in a book store before. Of course he had; it had just been a while.

Juliet smiled at James' remark, remembering the comfort she'd discovered in big, public places like these after returning from the island. Crowded with strangers, it was a place she could remain anonymous, a place where no one would ask what she was doing, and a place where she didn't have to vehemently defend her book choices. Unless she was feeling particularly argumentative.

"I like it." said Juliet. "Although, I still prefer a library."

James gave the hand he was holding a gentle squeeze. "Me too. Can't beat that old library book funk." Juliet chuckled as they strolled over to see what was new in the young adult section. "But I can't give my only daughter a used book for her birthday, so here we are. Now what the hell do I get her?"

"I don't know, what do little girls like these days?"

"You've got an entire chromosome on me in that department, baby. I was hoping you could tell me."

"Well, vampires seem to be a pretty big deal..." Juliet said wryly.

"Absolutely not." James declared, pulling Juliet along before they could stop in front of that display. Juliet laughed, squeezing his hand to stop him, and reached for an older book.

"She's a little young for Stephen King..." she said, checking out a copy of _Dealing With Dragons_. She'd let his hand go, and she felt James come up behind her and wrap his arms around her waist as she read the summary on the back.

"Right." he said. "I don't think Cass would consider _Carrie _a good bedtime story."

Juliet smiled, and James kissed her temple.

"Last night was good, wasn't it?" he whispered. Juliet chuckled again.

"After the nightmares and crying?" Juliet said quietly, sarcastically. She turned her head so she could look at him. "Yeah, it was."

James didn't have to move very far to give her a kiss. He didn't think twice about public displays of affection with Juliet now. She'd been staunchly against them in their days with the Initiative but they didn't seem to bother her anymore either. Now they took any chance they got.

"I love you." Juliet whispered, leaning her head back on his shoulder.

"I love you back." he said, and kissed her again. It lasted until an older woman cleared her throat behind them, and Juliet pulled her lips away.

"Maybe we should move to the romance section." she said, voice hushed for dramatic effect.

"Or we could give the old broad a cough drop." James suggested, just loud enough for the old broad to hear him. Juliet stifled a laugh as the lady straightened her coat and stalked away.

"I'm distracting you." said Juliet, gently pulling James arms from her waist. "Keep looking here, I'll be back."

"Don't go too far." said James, holding on to her as long as possible before letting her slip away. "I miss you already." Juliet looked over her shoulder, and smiled at his almost stricken expression.

"I'll be right back." she reassured him.

When she found the horror section, Juliet was pleased to see they had multiple editions of _Carrie _on the shelf. She'd only wanted confirmation that it still existed, to know that at least one other thing in her life would never change. When she returned to that other thing, to James, he was still looking at the rows of books, though it seemed he'd already made his choice. Juliet watched him from afar, just for a minute, wondering what the paperback in his hand would be. In her head, he was wearing a tan jumpsuit and a thick pair of glasses, and she could hear him sharing his opinions on the selection in Horace's living room. Horace was giving him an autographed copy of _Jonathan Livingston Seagull_, which for some reason amused and also upset James. She'd always meant to ask him why he reacted the way he did, but it was before they'd grown close, and after a while the mystery became too familiar to let go. She still remembered the reaction, though. His parents must have owned a copy; that had always been her theory. She'd have to ask him about it one of these days.

* * *

"Moo-oom, Daddy an' Juliet are back!" Clementine shouted when she let them into the house.

"Is Juliet with him?" Cassidy shouted, her voice coming from the kitchen area.

"That's what I _said_," Clementine shouted impatiently. "Daddy and Juliet!"

"Tell her I need her help!"

Clementine turned to Juliet and, despite the fact that Juliet had to have heard Cassidy just as well as Clementine, said to her in a normal tone, "Mommy says she needs your help." Then she turned to James. "Wudja get me?" Clementine asked her father with hope in her eyes, but James concealed the small bag behind his back. Juliet was on her way to the kitchen, and she smiled when she heard James' response - "If you keep trying to sneak a peek, you ain't gonna get it." It made her happy; he was already comfortable enough to tease her like the pro he was. It helped a lot that Clementine appreciated it more than anyone else he'd known, that she craved any kind of attention from him.

"Cassidy?" said Juliet, politely announcing her presence in the kitchen. Cassidy was standing at the counter, in front of a sea of cupcakes, only half of which were frosted.

"Hey," Cassidy replied, looking frazzled. She used the back of her wrist to sweep the loose hair from her forehead, surveying the mess she'd made, then turned to Juliet. "Would you help me with the rest of these? I'm runnin out of time, and I already sent Kate to the store for more party favors."

"How many kids are coming to the party?" asked Juliet, stepping closer.

"Only ten. I think. But most of their mothers are staying too, and now Clementine wants these in the shape of a real cake so I can write her name across them..." Cassidy laughed, waved her hands a little and let out a good natured yelp. "You'd think after seven years practice I'd have it down, but it's always somethin' different."

Juliet smiled and tucked her hair behind her ears, ready to help any way she could. "We'll get it done." she assured Cassidy, who smiled gratefully in return.

When Kate came back from the store a few minutes later, she encountered a sight that was still new, still surprising, but one that already felt oddly familiar. It had only been a week, but it felt right to see James sitting on Cassidy's couch, with Clementine leaning on his shoulder while he read her a book. James looked up when he heard the rustle of plastic bags. Once his soothing voice stopped reading, Clementine looked up too.

"Daddy got me a book." Clementine announced happily.

"For your birthday?" Kate asked. "You gave it to her already?" she said to James, a teasing look in her eye. The party was only hours away.

"You know I can't resist when a girl says pretty please." said James, eliciting a newly gap-toothed smile from Clementine. "I already fronted her the money from the tooth fairy, too."

Kate laughed quietly, shaking her head as she set the bags on the floor.

In the kitchen, Cassidy was taking a short break while Juliet finished the cake. Juliet's help had enabled her to clean up the kitchen while she worked, and all that was left to do now was bag the cheap toys that Kate had just arrived with. They were bonding over kids' birthday party stories. Rachel had a tendency of spoiling Julian around the date of his conception even more than on his birthday.

"Sometimes I wonder how my sister does it." Juliet said, her guard down for some reason. "Our parents split when we were young, but to raise a child from the beginning, all by yourself?"

Cassidy smiled, and watched the slow and steady way Juliet was frosting the cupcakes. Like she needed them to be perfect. "But your sister's got you, doesn't she?"

Juliet smiled. More often, she thought the opposite. She was so grateful having Rachel and Julian in her life.

"Kate's like my sister now," said Cassidy. "I've known her since before Clementine was born. I don't know what I would do without her help. Gee, makes me wonder what we need men in our lives for anyway? Your sister didn't even need one to knock her up."

Juliet laughed at that, and Cassidy could tell it was genuine. She saw Juliet as a type that wouldn't laugh unless she really meant it.

"You think you and James are gonna have any kids?" Cassidy asked her.

_Whoa._ Loaded question. Juliet almost flinched at it, surprised the spatula she was holding didn't plunge into that last perfect cupcake.

"Clementine keeps buggin me for a sister." Cassidy went on, barely noticing. "I don't know how to explain 'it's too complicated' to a seven-year-old without going into detail."

Juliet hadn't realized until now that Cassidy saw them as a normal couple. Everyone else that knew about them also knew about the circumstances under which their relationship had formed, circumstances that rendered that question and the next one somewhat beside the point.

"So how did you two meet again?" Cassidy asked, the innocent curiosity making Juliet let a short, nervous laugh out loud. Now she really needed to know what Kate had told her of the island.

"I'm sorry," Cassidy said after seeing her grow so nervous. "I ramble when it's quiet. And you are very quiet."

"I'm sorry," Juliet echoed. "I'm-"

"You're private," said Cassidy, understanding. "That's okay. So was Kate when I first met her. She said you might be tough to crack. Maybe when we know each other a little better...?"

"I'll tell you the whole story."

"You promise? Cause if it's a long one, full of stuff no one's supposed to know, Kate can tell ya: I'm good at keepin' secrets."

Juliet smiled, and made eye contact with Cassidy. Cassidy was actually reminding her of Rachel quite a bit, proving wrong her initial assumption that they were nothing alike, and, as strange as it was to hear, it sounded like Juliet reminded Cassidy of Kate. It was comforting to know that women like them, so difficult on the surface, all had other women to lean on. That, and the fact that a man's fiancee, his ex-lover and the mother of his child were all getting along made it feel like there was some kind of hope for humanity.

"I promise." said Juliet.

In the quiet moment that followed they could both hear the rest of the house approaching the kitchen.

"Look, Mom; Daddy gave me my present!" Clementine said as she rushed into the kitchen. "Ooh." she said at the sight of her cake, her finger in the frosting before any of them could stop her.

"Clementine!" Cassidy scolded her, in that mothery way that didn't really mean anything. "I swear to god!"

"Sor-ry!" Clementine apologized, in that childlike way that didn't really mean anything either. She went over to Kate, hugging her waist and getting frosting on her shirt. Kate didn't mind. Juliet fixed the frosting easily, and Cassidy thanked her while telling her daughter how hard Juliet had worked on it. Juliet tried to shrug it off, but Cassidy wouldn't let her.

"And look at what you did to Kate's shirt, Clementine! Go wash up now, you're not allowed in this kitchen 'til the party's over."

Cassidy followed Kate and Clementine out of the kitchen so she could scold her a little more and threaten to take away all her presents if she didn't behave. Their voices faded, and the kitchen was quiet, leaving James and Juliet alone again in the wake of a happy family hurricane.

"Look at you, frosting cupcakes." James said proudly.

"You gave her the book?" said Juliet, giving him the same look he'd gotten in the other room.

"I know, ain't I adorable?"

"I was going to show you how to wrap it."

"Next time." said James, coming right up to her to wrap his arms around her waist. Juliet leaned back against the counter, and when she put her arms around James, wrists crossing behind his neck, he noticed a flash of something sad in her eyes. Every emotion was beautiful on her face, but he preferred the teasing smile to the sadness; he always knew what it was about.

"Remind you of home?" he asked quietly. Juliet nodded. Their beautiful memories had thorns; sometimes they hurt to hold on to. The hideous green refrigerator and the stove with only two working burners, loose hinged cupboards with peeling paint, a sink that sometimes spit brown or just plain smelly water. Everything wrong had been right, because it had been theirs to share.

"I miss it too." James confided. "We'll find ourselves a new one." he promised. "You and me."

"I like the sound of that." said Juliet.

* * *

It was six o'clock, nearer to the end of the party than the beginning. While Clementine and her friends were in her bedroom, getting the rest of the sugar rush out of their systems while Cassidy and James made sure they didn't kill each other or wreck the house, the other mothers had all parked themselves in the living room, and somehow Juliet and Kate had gotten trapped in the mix.

"You're lucky, she's still young enough to boss around. Once she hits thirteen it's all over. My older daughter-"

"Thirteen? My little one stopped listening to me when she learned to talk!"

Juliet and Kate sat among the other women, both silent and each one thinking the other was more comfortable in the situation. Juliet thought Kate must be friends with them, through Cassidy if not friends with them herself. Kate thought Juliet would be used to chatting about these things, that Juliet must have had a group of friends like this wherever she'd come from, wherever she'd been before they knew each other. They were both so painfully wrong, and they couldn't figure it out because they wouldn't talk to each other.

"I wish I was pregnant again." one of the mothers said, beginning a new round of opinion throwing.

"Really? I was miserable during mine. I said never again."

"Oh gosh, yes! I loved being pregnant. I could eat whatever I wanted, my sex drive was up..."

"See that's what killed it for me, all those hormones, they drove me nuts."

"You're already nuts."

"Oh, thanks!"

"We worked so hard to get me pregnant just the once, I don't think I could go through that again."

"Right, but I had the opposite problem, I couldn't _stop_ getting pregnant. Four kids later I said, alright! I'll take the birth control!"

The rolling conversation paused for laughter. It felt like they were trapped in a bad sitcom. Kate shut down inside, as thoughts of Aaron and her brief motherhood began to surface. '_He was never yours to begin with'_ never helped, so she tried her hardest not to think about it at all. Instead she thought about how she and Cassidy always mocked these women behind their backs. They were only here because their daughters were friends with Clementine. She couldn't wait to tell Cassidy some of the things they were saying; once the party was over she'd be able to relax and laugh about it all.

Juliet tried to shut down, but there was a feeling scratching at her heart as the women around her kept yammering on and on about their fertility. She couldn't relate to them or to their stories and it was bothering her deeply. She'd been an expert, a genius, at making babies, but she'd never made one of her own. _I'll never be a mother. I shouldn't. I can't. What if James wants another..._

Kate was staring at Juliet, studying her reactions. She was fascinated by them. She could tell Juliet was faking it just like her. She was trying to, at least. The facade wasn't in place; her polite smile was no longer convincing. Something was wrong.

Juliet glanced at Kate. They'd been spying on each other all day, narrowly missing stolen glances, but Juliet caught her looking and the scratching feeling tore a hole. _She can tell. She knows what a horrible mother I'd make. I stole her boyfriend. I held a gun to her head. I'm a mess. I never realized what a horrible mess I still am._

_Does she know I had to give my baby away? _Kate wondered, tearing her gaze away from the fascination now that she'd been spotted. _Does she know I stole Claire's baby in the first place? I must seem like such a child to her. I knew him before she did. That has to bother her. Doesn't it?_

"Excuse me." Juliet murmured as she stood. The room took notice, because she was the new girl.

_What's her problem?_

_Oh, are we boring you?_

Imagined or real, their thoughts followed her out of the room. Kate could hear those thoughts too, and for a moment she contemplated going after Juliet. She didn't have a clue as to what she would say or how to begin comforting Juliet, but she felt the urge nonetheless, and it would have gotten her away from those stupid women. Unfortunately, before she could go, one of them snared her with a rude and difficult question. It was all the excuse Kate needed to stay in her seat and leave Juliet alone. She knew what that felt like, the desperate need to be alone.

"Kate." said Tina, the mother of four, in an excited and hushed voice. "Tell us about James and Juliet."

"Why did he come back all of a sudden?"

"Cassidy won't tell us, you're our only hope!"

The weight of their curiosity was crushing her, so she played dumb.

"I don't know." said Kate. "I don't really know them."

A lie and the truth, two for one deal. A few minutes later, Cassidy came back to the living room. The women all did a mental aboutface, and pretended they'd been talking about something else the entire time. When Kate and Cassidy's eyes met, they both gave each other knowing looks. Kate got up, walking toward Cassidy so she could go find James.

"Where's Juliet?" Cassidy whispered.

"She went outside," Kate whispered back. "She seemed upset, something's bothering her."

"Yeah, these crazy bitches. Alright, go and tell James, but don't leave me alone too long."

"I won't."

Kate walked to the back of the house, toward Clementine's room and the sound of laughing girls. "James?" she said, her voice a little sharper than she'd intended. She could only see his legs as James struggled to free himself from the pile of girls that were climbing all over him. "Girls." Kate addressed them with surprising authority. _Must have learned that from Cassidy_ thought James as he reached out a hand for Kate to grab. She helped pull him off the floor, and the party guests giggled, moving on to another game. James gave Kate a questioning look.

"Juliet's out back. I think you should go talk to her."

"Something happen?"

"I don't know, the women in there were all talking about their babies..."

A look of instant recognition crossed his face, confirming what Kate had sensed while watching Juliet. He put his hand on her upper arm and squeezed gently in thanks as he passed her and left the room to find his Blondie. The feeling of his hand on her arm remained. Kate knew in her heart that she and James never would have worked, that he belonged with Juliet truly and completely, but when she saw the way he cared for Juliet, it made her wonder. It made her long for someone that understood her so deeply, someone that needed so few words to know what was wrong and how to fix it. It made her wonder what ever happened to Jack.

Kate knew she had to go back out to save Cassidy from the flock of squawking hens in her living room, but she needed a moment too. So she stayed with the younger girls, finding a small comfort in their innocence. She hoped they'd get to stay young longer than she had.


	8. Whatever Hurts You Hurts Me Too

Juliet stood and stared into the growing dark of Cassidy's small back yard, trying so hard not to cry. She thought it was a little ironic that a child's birthday party would cause an internal confrontation of such unavoidable magnitude. A house full of laughing little girls, proud mothers watching over them from a distance. Juliet had been deprived of that pride for three years, watching both mothers and babies slip away again and again no matter what she did to help them.

_I don't want to feel this anymore_. Juliet told herself. _That time is over. Rachel, Julian, they're healthy and happy, that's all that matters. You can't change the past..._

The sliding door behind her made a quiet sound as it was opened, and its echo came to her as it was shut. Silence followed, and she knew it was James. Anyone else would have asked her what was wrong already.

"Now, I already told you, Juliet." said James, adopting the tone of a stern parent. "I'll get you the Barbie, but you gotta stop throwin' these tantrums."

For a second Juliet felt joy overtake the sorrow, and she laughed, her heart stripped bare and susceptible to such sudden changes. He always, _always_ found a way to make her laugh.

"What's buggin' ya?" he said more seriously.

It took a while for her to answer. She hadn't quite worked through it yet herself. With her arms crossed, Juliet shrugged. "Same as usual." she said, meaning every painful moment that happened on that stupid rock, after she realized she wasn't in Portland anymore and before the dust had finally settled in 1974. Except the dust had never settled for her in this time, in the three years she'd lived without James. His plane had never fallen from the sky, and the catalyst for major change had never come to the island. She'd never traveled back in time in this life, and even though she remembered doing so in another, the scars from being in Ben's camp nearly twice as long as she was supposed to stayed with her.

"Oh." James said. "Is that it?" he joked, gently prodding, but still she stood there with her arms crossed. Sometimes it took a while to get through.

"Are you sure you want to be married to this?" asked Juliet, referring to herself, to the mess she thought she was. _Ah,_ James thought, another layer having been revealed to him. As he took a few steps forward, walking past her, he took a deep breath and sighed, parking himself on the low brick wall that seperated the patio from the small back yard. She looked at him once, and then her eyes drifted away again, waiting for him to explain everything back to perfect, the way he always did for her.

"Well," he said slowly, keeping his eyes on her. "I figure the hard part's over. We lived together. We seen each other at our most unwashed. I like you better without makeup, by the way."

Juliet looked at him and tilted her head to the side, at once reproachful and grateful.

"I wish I could tell you how happy it makes me, just wakin' up every day, bein' able to call you my woman. 'Cause words don't even come close. Hell, Blondie..." James lowered his voice, the next thought for Juliet's ears only. "I even know what it feels like to watch you die."

Hearing him say the words out loud turned her heart inside out. There was survivor's guilt, but what was it called when you were the one that almost passed away?

"And I was sure before then that we were supposed to stay together forever. So, yeah, damn straight I wanna marry you. Are you sure you want to be married to _this_?" he asked her right back, turning the question around on her. "I got an illegitimate child with a mother that hates my guts -"

"Don't call her illegitimate." Juliet told him softly.

"...You prefer 'bastard child'?" James asked her with eyebrows raised.

"No. " Juliet blinked slowly, stopping just short of a smirk. "Just call her your daughter. Illegitimate sounds like she doesn't count."

James kept his mouth shut and listened. He needed her wisdom too.

"And Cassidy doesn't hate you." said Juliet. "If she hated you, we wouldn't be here. You wouldn't be allowed in the house. We were talking this afternoon. She's really nice-"

Juliet's voice broke off, and she covered her face with her hand. James waited, but the sob never came, and it made him tense. "Come'ere." he whispered, standing, putting his arms around her and pulling her close. She leaned into him, but she still held back the emotion, pretending she could stop it. It was one thing to break down in a dark bedroom in the middle of the night, another when there was a party between her and an escape.

"I never used to do this." Juliet whispered weakly. "I never used to cry."

"You held it all inside, baby." James reminded her. "For years. You were survivin'. You gotta let it out."

Juliet shook her head no, _No, I don't want to, not here.  
_  
"It's okay to let it out." James told her.

Juliet sniffled as quietly as she could. "You don't." she challenged him.

"That's 'cause I got you." said James. "You being gone is the only thing could ever make me cry."

Juliet let her body relax against his, resting her head on his shoulder. He held her tighter. He thought she might start crying then, but her will was strong, and that pride ran deep.

"James." she said, lifting her head and staring at the tear she'd left on the fabric. "You told me you want to find a new home with me, but where?" Teary blue eyes looked up into his, and James didn't have an easy answer. "My family is in Miami," Juliet continued. "And yours is here. I made a promise to Rachel that I would never leave again, and you need to be near Clementine. So what do we do?"

"We'll figure it out."

"But-"

"Baby." said James, gently holding her face so she'd stay looking in his eyes. "We'll figure it out. I'm gonna make you my wife, and then _you're _gonna be my family. I'll follow you anywhere, you know that right? We did it my way once. Now it's your turn."

Juliet stared at him, wishing she could jump right into his pupils and live inside his mind. He was always so sure.

"You believe me?" asked James, because sometimes he wasn't so sure. He was always sure about his love, and the way they felt about each other, but the last time Juliet looked at him like that they'd joined a plan to blow the Swan Station to kingdom come. They just had to keep telling themselves they weren't out of time, and that any sacrifices they made would be for each other, not for anyone else.

* * *

"God, look at how she looks at him." Cassidy murmured. She was spying on them from the kitchen window, and James' back was to her. She couldn't see that he looked at her the same way. Kate, amused that Cassidy was so intrigued by them, wasn't looking out the window, but she knew exactly what Cassidy was talking about. Reluctantly, Cassidy pulled her gaze from the window to look at Kate, who was washing dishes while the visiting mothers gathered their daughters to take them home. Cassidy picked up on the amusement in Kate's expression, but she knew her better than to take it at face value. "How are you doin'?" Cassidy asked Kate. Kate threw her a questioning look, unaware that she'd been telegraphing anything other than fine. "Must be weird seeing him again," Cassidy continued. "After all that's happened."

"Weirder than it is for you?" Kate asked skeptically.

"Yeah." Cassidy said with emphasis, as if it would be common sense. "I mean, sure it's weird for me. I sent his ass to jail, but he's still Clementine's father. I always hoped something like this would happen, that he'd come back someday. With you...from what you told me, it sounds like you two were pretty close 'til you got separated. You're tellin me you're not even a little bit jealous of her?"

"It's not like that." said Kate, shaking her head dismissively. "I care about James as a friend. I was never in love with him. Not the way he wanted me to be. Not like Juliet's in love with him."

"What about James? Do you really think he's for real?"

"About getting to know Clementine?" Kate asked, purposely avoiding the obvious subject.

"No, silly." said Cassidy. "About Juliet."

Kate felt herself withdrawing, prickly at the mere thought of discussing that, scared of the emotions that might surface if she thought about it too much. She'd been right there with them in those last few minutes on the island. She'd been left feeling just as raw as the other survivors, and Cassidy was standing there staring at her as if she could explain everything to her, like she was the missing link to understanding James.

"Kate?" Cassidy prompted her, taking her hesitation for something else.

"Yeah, he's for real." Kate blurted.

"How do you know that?" Cassidy said, more curious than incredulous. "This isn't your Sawyer, Kate."

"I know." Kate replied, snapping a little, and turning off the water because there weren't any dishes left to wash.

"So how can you be so sure?" Cassidy pressed.

"Because I saw the look on his face when he thought she was dead." Kate said, pushing the words quickly from her mouth. Her cheeks stung, because she was blushing at the memories of reaching her hand down, nowhere near close enough because her arm was short and there was no time, no rope, no help, just chaos, confusion and the horrible sound of bending steel, creaking wreckage and a humming magnet that sucked at the metal without regard to the people caught between the pieces. The sound never went away, and neither did the image of James' face when he realized he'd lost her. Nothing had ever been so real to Kate than James' face in that moment.

Cassidy could tell she was pushing too hard, so she backed off even though she was still confused. "You guys went through some pretty heavy stuff, huh?" she said. Instead of answering, Kate took a towel and dried her hands, her body language agitated. "Sorry, hon." said Cassidy. "I just don't understand why you're all so touchy with each other. You only told me bits and pieces of the story, what do you expect me to do but try to fill in the blanks on my own?"

"I don't wanna talk about it." Kate muttered, setting the towel on the counter and leaving the room.

"I know." Cassidy said quietly once she'd gone, mostly to herself. "You never do." Everything was fine when they pretended life was normal, but one question about the past seemed to set her off, even worse than before she'd remembered whatever she kept locked up so tight. Cassidy sighed, but then Tina came around the corner to make small talk before she left with the last of the moms, so Cassidy let Kate go.

* * *

When Kate stepped outside the back door to see if they were okay, she saw James tuck Juliet's hair behind her ears, and realized suddenly that Juliet had tears in her eyes. Kate froze, not wanting to interrupt something private between them, but it was too late. Both James and Juliet turned to look at her, James hands falling to Juliet's shoulders as Juliet made sure to sweep any loose tears from her cheeks.

"Sorry." Kate murmured, a faint echo of what she'd come out to say to her in the first place. She turned to leave, but Juliet said her name and it stopped her in her tracks.

"Kate." said that voice, soft and strong at the same time.

Kate turned to her, words spilling from her mouth before she could even think them.

"I'm so sorry, Juliet." she said. Her voice trembled like her heart was vibrating but she was determined to say it no matter what.

"I'm sorry too." said Juliet, with relief and sincerity.

"Why?" Kate asked her, pleading desperately now. It was something Kate couldn't wrap her mind around. "Why are you so nice to me?"

Juliet opened her mouth to answer her but no sound came out, just a struggling sigh as the first person pronoun died in her throat.

"You almost died because of me." said Kate, as if she were offended Juliet would forget such a thing. The words stung all three of them, and even though they only made James want to hold Juliet closer, she pulled away from him and shook her head no.

"It wasn't because of you." said Juliet, telling Kate the same thing she had to tell James when he'd expressed remorse over what happened to her. "It was because of what we had to do."

"If I hadn't convinced you to go back -"

"If we hadn't gone back, then maybe none of us would even be here." Juliet pointed out, before Kate could continue blaming herself. "We," Juliet said again. "All three of us, took control of that sub." _Is that what she'd been holding inside this whole time? _Juliet wondered. _Is that why she can't look me in the eye? _Kate was looking her in the eye now, but she wasn't buying it. She wasn't ready to let that guilt go.

"We abandoned you." said Kate, the incredulous way she said the word expressing the weight she'd given it. "We left you there for _years, _thinking we were protecting you, and then we went back there and ruined everything you had."

"But look at where we are right now, Freckles." said James, trying to comfort her. "We're alive, we're well, and we're building bridges we wouldn't have dreamed of before everything that went down that day."

"James." Kate said suddenly, the upturn in her tone making it sound like she wanted to tell him he didn't know what the hell he was talking about, and to stop, for god's sake, using that stupid nickname in front of Juliet. She'd turned away from them, one hand on her hip while the other swiped angrily at the tears that had begun to fall. Juliet could see she was about to unravel right in front of them, and Juliet realized that maybe it wasn't James and Juliet that Kate was really talking about here. Juliet realized, finally, that nobody ever asked Kate about what she gained or lost in the three years they'd spent apart. They'd all been too busy avoiding the subject, pretending the future was all they had to handle now. Maybe it was easier for James to put it behind him, with Juliet there beside him, reassuring him, loving him every day, and Clementine here to occupy his mind with something new to learn about. He'd found what he needed in them, and in the acceptance he had from Cassidy and Kate. Juliet had most of what she needed in her family and in James. The only thing missing was closure with Kate, and it seemed that Kate's journey toward being all right would have to start with closure from Juliet too.

With one quiet look, Juliet told James that she and Kate needed to be alone. He looked back at her, asking with his eyes if she was sure. Her expression didn't change, so James relaxed, submitted, and left her side, throwing Kate a worried glance on his way. He walked through the sliding door, looking back at the women in the backyard one last time before he closed the door behind him. The role of caretaker had been passed on. Like Kate had needed Aaron, and James now needed Juliet, Juliet needed someone to take care of, so she could learn to heal by fixing somebody else's heart. Somehow fate had chosen Kate for her, and James could see the doubt that Juliet had shown him being replaced by something strong enough to face a woman she'd once come to blows with, whose name she didn't dare speak after the first time James and Juliet had shared a kiss. Like a storm finally coming to a head, James saw Juliet ask Kate to sit beside her, and he knew the storm would not be a destructive one. It would clean the residue, release the tension, and hopefully leave them closer and stronger than before.

"It's quiet in here." said James when he found Cassidy in the kitchen. She was staring out the window again, brow knotted in worry, and she didn't turn when she heard him.

"Everyone's gone." Cassidy explained, as if she couldn't care less about them. Her concern was with the two women in the back yard, and with wondering why Kate had run from her best friend to the virtual stranger that seemed to make her so uncomfortable. "What are they talkin' about?" Cassidy asked James.

"I don't know yet." James sighed, as surprised as Cassidy was that they weren't the ones being confided in. "But whatever it is, it's been a long time comin'."


	9. The Only One Who Really Understands

_A/N: A couple answers to reader questions: We don't know where Jack is yet; this chapter addresses Kate's problem with that fact. And I didn't mean to imply that Juliet isn't able to have children, only that she was struggling with her years as a once-failing fertility doctor. :)_

_Once again, sorry for the long wait, and thanks for sticking with me! I have two more chapters planned after this one, so we're getting close to the end :D_

* * *

"Alright." Cassidy said, as if it were a definitive statement. "You're gonna tell me everything that happened between the three of you right now."

"Cass..." James said discouragingly, as if it would stop her.

"Don't 'Cass' me. I'm sick of being in the dark. I always feel like I'm saying the wrong thing to the wrong person at the wrong time. Kate flies outta here in a huff and I'm not supposed to ask any questions?"

James chuckled. "Yeah. Sounds like Kate to me." Cassidy gave James a look, but she knew exactly what he meant. She stared at him then, raising her eyebrows when he didn't speak up.

"I'll try to explain it," James said after a long sigh. "But I'm telling you now, you ain't gonna believe half of what I say."

"Try me."

* * *

The back yard was very quiet now, especially since the party was over and everyone else was gone. They were sitting next to each other on that half wall that lined the patio, neither one knowing where to start.

"I don't know how you can sit there and be okay with all of the things I did to you." Kate said quietly.

"I feel the same way." Juliet said with a little chuckle of disbelief. "I'm sorry." she added, because that was the only place to start. "For everything."

"You really shouldn't say that." Kate said, shaking her head and smiling inwardly, almost bitterly, at the irony.

"The things I did when I was working for Ben-"

"They were things you did _because_ you were working for Ben. Because you were trying to get away. I understand that now. More than anything, I understand that. And I know you know what I did before the plane crashed."

"It's not a competition, Kate. We've both done things we're not proud of."

"But did you ever hate me?" Kate asked pointedly, looking at Juliet as she said it. Juliet didn't answer her, so Kate decided to make it easier for her. "Because I hated you." she admitted, because she couldn't have felt any more shame for it already.

Juliet set her hands on the wall beside her legs, and looked down at the ground. She'd known that about Kate, always, and up until recently thought it still might be true. "I never gave you a good reason to feel any other way about me." said Juliet.

"Yeah, well..." Kate said. "Jack and Sawyer being in love with you should have been enough to change my mind."

"Jack wasn't-"

"I know," Kate interrupted her quickly. "I mean, they trusted you. Jack trusted you. And I hated you so much for that."

It got quiet again, both of them feeling shitty about feeling so shitty.

"Do you still?" asked Juliet, breaking the silence and giving Kate a similar out. She looked up at Kate, and Kate shook her head, her expression sincere. "Then don't worry about it." said Juliet, giving Kate a small smile. The difference between that genuine smile and the cold, defensively distant ones she used to give Kate and the rest of the 815 survivors was vast. Now Kate could see what Jack and James had seen in her. And of course, it only made her feel worse.

"And yes, there were times that I hated you." Juliet admitted. "Seeing you get on the sub was one of them. Watching you beg Jack to operate on Ben was another. I hated that you had two men completely devoted to protecting you, to the point of giving up everything including their lives to make sure you were okay."

Kate's cheeks burned at the memories. Those had not been the best two weeks of her life. "They were too stupid to see I wasn't worth the trouble?" she muttered, bitter over having wasted so much of their time.

"I didn't mean it like that." said Juliet. "I hated you then because I was insanely jealous. And I hated you when you came back because your relationship with James made me doubt the best thing that ever happened to me. And I hated you on the sub, not because you were there to take James away from me, but because you were right. We had to go back. You keep saying you ruined everything, but me falling down that mine shaft was supposed to happen. I set off the bomb that sent us back here. And now I'm back with my loved ones, and I have my entire life with James to look forward to."

Kate's face crumpled, and she covered her face with her hands.

"I'm sorry." Juliet said, very softly, thinking she'd done something to cause those tears.

"Stop saying that, you didn't do anything." Kate cried. Juliet swallowed, and placed her hand carefully on Kate's shoulder. She half expected Kate to shrug it off, so she didn't linger there, thinking about how it would feel for Kate to do that to her as she took her hand away.

"It's Jack." Kate finally admitted, her voice straining against the crying. "Jack and I ruined everything, with each other. And Cassidy, I used to talk to her about him all the time but she doesn't remember any of that. It's like I lost part of my best friend. And Aaron -"

Kate's voice completely failed her as the tears took over again. Juliet could tell it hurt, that Kate's heart was still torn open and bleeding the way Juliet's had been the night she'd remembered it all. Kate still covered her face with her hands, and when Juliet returned her hand to Kate's shoulder she kept it there.

* * *

"You took all the guns?" Cassidy said in disbelief, though in her heart she supposed the James she knew was more than capable. "Still conning people after all that, huh?"

"Now hold on, Cassidy. We're still in the 'Bad James' portion of the story. Just wait until I meet Juliet. I think you'll like that part..."

* * *

"Have you tried contacting him?" Juliet asked Kate, as Kate got a hold of herself and wiped the tears from her face. Kate sniffled, and shook her head no.

"I think about it all the time. I think maybe I'll call him, and he'll remember me, and want to see me. And then I think about how it would feel if I called him, and he didn't remember me. Or if he was married and had ten kids and a life he couldn't leave even if he did remember me."

"It's a scary thought." Juliet agreed.

"It's fucking terrifying." said Kate, and laughed a little at her melodrama. The laughter faded quickly, replaced by a shameful frown. Kate glanced at Juliet, who glanced away in response. The sorrow in Kate's pout made Juliet want to cry too.

"How long did it take you and James to find each other?" Kate asked her. She got an apologetic smile in response.

"Four days." said Juliet, and Kate could tell that it made her happy. "I couldn't eat or sleep, and I had no idea where to start looking for him. And then...he showed up at my sister's door."

_And then everything was good again._

"He came looking for you?" Kate asked. Juliet smiled and nodded, and Kate felt a pang of jealousy even as her heart was warmed by the story. There had been a time when James would have looked for Kate like that. She wondered if he and Juliet had ever discussed her, or any of the others from the island, in the month and a half they'd been back together. Kate knew that, if she were either of them, she would have stayed as far away from anything even remotely associated with the island. Knowing what Jack thought about the time they'd spent between island stays, that enough of it was misery to want to leave it all behind, was what kept Kate from asking the only question that mattered in those first few months of knowing him. _Where's Jack? _

* * *

In the living room, James was almost done telling Cassidy the entire tale. The deeper into it he got, the fewer and farther between Cassidy's snide remarks had come. They'd experienced so much pain and loss, she was having a hard time wrapping her mind around it. She'd even swallowed the whole time travel part of the story. She didn't really believe it, but who on earth would make something like that up? And now James was telling her about the incident at the Swan station, and even though she knew Juliet was alive and well, sitting with Kate in the backyard, Cassidy's heart still went out to them both.

"When she gave up...when she let go and fell away from me, my heart was ripped out of my body. She took the whole thing with her. And we both knew that I'd had so many chances not to put her in that situation." James stopped to think about it all again, letting the feeling wash over him completely.

"Sounds like you're all still blaming yourselves." said Cassidy, unable to resist putting in her two cents.

"Yeah, well, that's one thing we're all really good at." James replied. "Fuckin' shit up and blaming ourselves for it."

"But now you're all at my house, becoming friends again." Cassidy said, as if she were pleased by it. James raised an eyebrow. "Makes me feel kinda special." Cassidy said, playfully defensive.

That made him smile. "What did Kate tell you about all this?"

"Not much." Cassidy sighed. "A little over a month ago, Kate asked me if I remembered a baby named Aaron, and if she'd ever told me about a guy named Jack. I said no, and ever since then she's been different. She said she had some weird kind of reverse amnesia that she couldn't tell me about because she didn't understand it yet herself. After a while I stopped asking, and she went back to pretending everything was okay. It all makes sense now, though. Well, it doesn't _all _make sense, but at least now I know what she's thinking about when she gets that far away look in her eyes."

"How was she before all this?"

"What do you mean?"

James shrugged. "Was she happy?"

Cassidy looked at James for a moment, and smiled. "Yeah, I guess. As happy as a girl with her past can get. Why are you askin'?"

"She was like me, Cass. Couldn't have been happy even if she tried. So I was wondering."

"Did you ever wonder about me?"

"All the time."

They smiled at each other, and they both heard Clementine when she called. "I'll be right there, Clem!" Cassidy called back. She sat forward in her armchair, looking James in the eye. "Thank you for telling me all of that. You were right; I didn't believe half of what you said, but it really did help."

James chuckled, and stayed in his seat while Cassidy went to check on Clementine. "Hey," he said then, suddenly, after realizing he didn't have to wait for Juliet alone. Cassidy stopped and turned. "Can I come with ya?" James asked her, and she smiled.

"Of course."

James stayed with Cassidy and Clementine until it was time to send Clementine to bed. He tucked their daughter in under the covers, told her good night and shut her bedroom door to keep out the light. Then James helped Cassidy clean the rest of the house, all the while wondering what Juliet and Kate could still be talking about. They'd been outside for hours now, and both he and Cassidy supposed it was a good thing that they'd been quiet the whole time.

"Unless one of 'em killed the other."

"Yeah, maybe we should have taken bets."

They were in the middle of chuckling at their bad jokes when the sliding door to the backyard opened. Kate walked in first, followed by Juliet, who closed the door behind them. The women exchanged one more look, a relieved and grateful smile on each of their faces, and they left it at that. Kate murmured to the group that she was exhausted, and that she was heading straight to bed. Cassidy watched her closely, but didn't stop her, instead telling her to sleep tight and she'd see her in the morning.

"Ready to head out?" Juliet asked James. He studied her, the way Cassidy studied Kate, and said yeah, he was. Juliet asked Cassidy if Clementine had a good birthday, and Cassidy assured her it had been one of the best. Then Juliet smiled a big warm smile, and James had never been more proud to be with her.

* * *

During the car ride back to the motel, Juliet was very quiet. She was deep in thought, pondering something very serious, and James was hesitant to interrupt, but curiosity got the better of him.

"You gonna tell me what you talked about?" he said, glancing away from the road for a moment to check.

Juliet thought for a long time before answering.

"She's going to be okay." she said. James reached for her left hand, squeezing it, and thought about the ring he'd left underneath the floorboards in the house they'd shared. It probably wasn't there anymore, since he'd never gotten to the island to put it there. Either way, he wanted to get another. Juliet smiled, and sighed. "We're all going to be okay."


	10. A Whole Lotta Princess

James closed the book he was holding, and put his arm around Clementine's shoulders. They were both sitting on her bed, she in the pajamas that were already getting a little small for her, he in his reading glasses and the hoodie she'd picked out for him at the secondhand store.

"One more story?" Clementine asked hopefully. Daddy had a swagger she'd never seen before, and she couldn't get enough of his reading voice. He did all the voices better than Mama.

"Another one?" James said, as if he just couldn't believe it. He was just putting on a show; of course he wanted to read her another. If he'd known, way back when, what a joy it would be just to sit in bed with her, reading stories, having her undivided attention...but he hadn't been ready way back when. He'd have to enjoy it now. "Alright," he said skeptically. "But if I see your eyelids droopin'..."

"I'll stay awake." Clementine promised.

"Okay. Which one do you wanna hear?"

"I want a new one."

"A new one? But I've read all of 'em, I'd have to make it up."

Clementine smiled and nodded. He was getting the idea, if slowly.

"A Daddy-o original, huh?"

"That's right, Daddy-o."

"Alright...once upon a time..." James began, because that's where you always began. Then he noticed someone at the door. Someone was hiding outside, trying to eavesdrop without being seen, but he could still see a lock of their blonde hair. A small smile passed across his face, and he began again. "Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess-"

"Does she live in a castle?"

"Excuse me, who's the one telling the story?"

"Well?" said Clementine, copying her father's indignance. "Does she?"

"No, she lives in a little yellow house, on an island, in the middle of the ocean where no one could ever find her except by accident."

"...Huh?" Clementine said, her face scrunched up in utter confusion.

"Just listen." said James. "So there's this princess, living on an island, and she's trapped there because this Napoleon with bushbaby eyes who thinks he's king wants to make her his queen."

"...What's a Napoleon?"

"It's a really short guy who tries to make up for his insecurities by controlling everyone around him."

"Okay..."

"Do you know what a bushbaby is?"

"Yeah, I seen one at the zoo."

"They're weird lookin', right?"

"Yeah, kind of..."

"Well this Napoleon wannabe looks weird too. And he's evil. Ya with me so far?"

"Nice princess, evil king guy. Got it."

Outside, Juliet put a hand to her mouth to cover her smile. Cassidy was on the other side of the door, eavesdropping along with her. It had been a month since they'd arrived and met Clementine for the first time, and it was James' last night to read Clementine a bed time story. They were flying back to Miami in the morning, but they were already making plans to come back, to move closer to James' family permanently. Juliet had talked it over with Rachel, and Rachel had agreed to think about switching coasts.

_I said I'd never leave you two again._ Juliet had said.

_It's not the same as last time._ Rachel reassured her. _At least this time I'll be able to call, email and visit you. And who knows, I've been looking for an excuse to get Julian out of this crappy school district anyway, what better reason than family? I've heard they're friendly to my kind in San Francisco..._

"Wait," said Clementine, interrupting her father for the millionth time. "If the princess thought the guy was so cute, why'd she lock him up?"

"Be_cause_," said James to his doubting daughter. "Some people just need to be locked up for a while. So they can appreciate what life truly has to offer."

Outside, Cassidy bit her lip to keep from laughing out loud. The man could still spin a tale, and it was still just enough of the truth to make a skeptic believe it.

"Daddy..." said Clementine. "Your stories are weird."

"Yeah," James sighed. "I probably should have thought this one through before I started telling it. How 'bout I start over?"

"I think that would be good." Clementine said, nodding to emphasize her point. "It can still be about the princess though. Just make her live in a castle this time."

"Alright." said James. "Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess..." He paused long enough to make Clementine worry, and right as she opened her mouth to give him his prompt, he continued. "And she lived in a great big castle." he said quickly, stealing the words right from her and making her giggle.

"Like Cinderella?" Clementine asked, just to make sure.

"Yeah. Like Cinderella. Cinderella, Rapunzel and Sleeping Beauty all rolled into one."

"Wow. That's a whole lotta princess."

James smiled. "Yer damn straight." he agreed.

"Language!" Cassidy whispered loudly from the hallway. Clementine giggled again. Her mother never told Aunt Kate to watch her language. There must be special rules for boys, she thought. Or maybe just for Daddy.

"Yer darn tootin'." James corrected himself carefully, taking a deep breath as he glanced at the empty doorway.

Cassidy and Juliet shared a smile, and Cassidy motioned with her head for Juliet to follow her out to the living room.

"Are you sure you can't stay another week?" Cassidy asked, her voice still hushed as they left the hallway.

Julie smiled apologetically, joining Cassidy on the couch when she sat down. Kate was curled up in one of the chairs in the living room, eyes closed and breathing evenly, with the television still on but muted. Juliet kept her voice down as well.

"I told James he should stay here while I go back to see Rachel." she said quietly. Her smile turned sheepish, joined by a stifled chuckle. "He won't let me travel alone."

"From what you've told me, it's not a bad idea for you two to stick together." said Cassidy. She smirked without malice. "He doesn't want to be away from you, even for a second. Lucky girl. I would've given my left arm for him to stay with me like that. 'specially after Clementine was born."

A sad smile accompanied Juliet's understanding nod. She wanted to tell Cassidy all about James' regret, but that was between them. All he could do now was move forward and use the future to make up for the past.

"Well," Cassidy said as she leaned back and draped her arms over her stomach. "Any way you cut it, we miss you already."

"We'll miss you too, Cassidy." said Juliet. "And we'll be back as soon as we can. I know James doesn't want to miss another minute with Clementine."

Cassidy nodded. "I see that. I don't know what you and Kate did to him, but Clementine and I are eternally grateful. He's what I wish he'd been 8 years ago. Better late than never, huh? If I were a lesser woman I might try to steal him from you."

"Don't." Kate murmured across the room, her voice a surprise to the women that believed her to be fast asleep until that moment. "She'll flip you over her shoulder before you even make a move."

Cassidy turned, missing the slight coloring of Juliet's cheeks and also missing the truth of Kate's statement as she stared open mouthed at her best friend.

"You are such a faker." said Cassidy, scolding her like she scolded Clementine when she lied about brushing her teeth.

With her eyes still closed, Kate smiled. "Sorry," she said, the sweetness a total act. "Did you think I was asleep?"

"You get me every damn time, I swear." Cassidy marveled.

Kate gave a smug little chuckle at that, and then she shifted her head and lazily opened her eyes so she could look at the other two. "Is he still reading to her?" she asked them.

"They ran out of books," said Cassidy. "But he's still tellin' stories."

Kate's smile deepened. "He's good at that, isn't he?" she asked sarcastically, already knowing Cassidy's answer to that question. Kate shifted her gaze and made eye contact with Juliet, who had been subtly watching Kate since she'd spoken up. They smiled faintly at each other. There was still a distance between them, but it was polite. The ice was melting, slowly but surely. Nobody in the house - except for Clementine, still young and blissfully ignorant - had any illusions about Juliet and Kate ever being the best of friends, but at least now they had an understanding. Understanding was the first part of friendship, and perhaps the most important for them. They both knew where they stood, in James' life and in Clementine's, and that was the most important thing of all.

Just as the dashing prince was saving the beautiful princess from a rain of flaming arrows, Clementine nodded off for the fourth and final time. James would have to save the rest of the fantastic tale for another time. He felt the weight of her little head as it rested against his arm. He looked down at her, at his daughter's face. He saw Cassidy in some of her features. She had Cassidy's eyes, and their smiles looked exactly the same. She had her mother's feisty attitude, but that could be attributed to nurture as well as nature.

James didn't remember the faces of his own parents very well. It was easier for him not to. When he looked at his daughter's face, however, he could see some of his family's features. He saw it in the bridge of Clementine's nose. He saw it in the shape of her cheeks when she smiled Cassidy's smile. She had the tiniest dimples, if you looked close enough. He'd been looking, since the first time he saw her running across the school yard. When he looked at Clementine, when he looked around her bedroom and sat around her house and saw all the things Cassidy had acquired and done for their little girl, James knew Clementine was on the right track. James couldn't help thinking, when he looked at Juliet and at the new chance life had suddenly given him to do right by himself, by his woman and by his family, that his presence in Clementine's life could only help her along. At the same time, James knew life had a way of going its own way, no matter how hard he tried, and no matter how much he wished it could be different. Things were good now, they were looking better and better every day, but there was no way of knowing what tomorrow would bring. He could only hope and do his best to make sure Clementine was prepared to take life's tumbles. He didn't want her to go through even a fraction of what he'd been through. There were safer ways of finding peace with oneself.

"You listen to your Daddy." James whispered to the sleeping girl beside him. "You're allowed to look like us," he said. "But you're not allowed to grow up like us, ya hear?"

Clementine didn't answer. She remained asleep, already deep into dreamland as she breathed through her open mouth. James reached over and, with a tender touch, pushed up on her chin with one finger. Her mouth stayed closed for a few seconds, and then it slowly fell open again. James chuckled. He felt the amusement deep in his belly, and he felt the love fill his entire heart.

"You're gonna snore like your mama too, ain't ya?"

Right on cue, Clementine breathed in through her nose and made a sound that reminded him of a wild boar. It made him grin - the sound, the comparison, the fact that she was almost drooling on him. He knew he would be able to relieve the stress on her nasal passages if he laid her down properly in her bed. It was a shame to move, to leave his daughter's side at all, but she needed her rest. She had school tomorrow, and Daddy wasn't going to be there to tuck her in the following night.

So James sat up, careful not to move too fast, and he got Clementine to lie down on her side with her head on her pillow. The snoring stopped. She closed her mouth, and she grabbed hold of the teddy bear next to her, still warm from James' back since he'd been leaning against it for hours. James watched her for a few more minutes, unable to take his eyes off of her.

"You're gonna have a better life." he murmured aloud. That was his promise to her. He'd been orphaned, left alone when he was right around his daughter's age. He'd lost two parents, and now Clementine was gaining one. He'd missed eight years already, but he wasn't going to miss any more. He was a father now, and thanks to the three women waiting for him in the living room he was ready for it.

* * *

In the motel that night, James laid back on the bed with his arms folded behind his head. He watched Juliet as she brushed her hair and put the last of her clothes in her suitcase so she wouldn't have to pack as much in the morning. James felt the smile on his face, reflecting what he felt inside whenever he watched Juliet do mundane things like brush her hair and move her clothes around a bedroom. It was better than anything on television, especially when she was wearing only a tank top and her underwear.

He couldn't believe it had only been two months since they remembered. The memories of their other life, the years they'd spent together on the island, were dominating his mind, and they made it hard to believe there had ever been any other version of events. The memories of the years they'd spent apart were so much less important now. They faded, distant and gray, while the time they'd spent together became more vibrant and immediate, helped along by the time they were spending together now.

It was so easy for them to be together, and being together just made life so damn easy.

"Juliet."

She stopped packing and turned to him with an expectant look on her face. He waited just a second before speaking, and he was smiling that smile of his so she already knew it would be something good.

"I'll pack for you in the morning if you stop what you're doing and come to bed."

Juliet's face transformed. She smiled, deep and pretty, and her eyes sparkled with the same love contained in James' offer. He just wanted to hold her, and he wanted to hold her now.

"I'm done packing." she said as she flipped the top of the suitcase over the pile she'd just stuck in it. "But thanks for offering."

"Anything for you, baby."

"Anything to get me in bed." Juliet said with a teasing smirk. She loved the way his eyes followed as she walked toward him and the bed. He couldn't help it with that outfit.

"I like a little icing on my cake." James admitted, his own smile deepening as the level of suggestion rose. "I've never denied that."

Juliet sat on the edge of the bed and twisted her upper body so she could look at him. "The cake being...?" she asked, just as he moved one of his hands from under his head so he could touch his fingers to her thigh.

"Doing whatever I can to make you happy." said James.

"You make me happy." said Juliet. "Just being here with me." She lifted her leg, the one he was touching, onto the bed and leaned toward him, so she could kiss him. "You make me so happy." she whispered, right before their lips touched. He moved his other hand and held the side of her head, brushing her cheek with his thumb, cradling her jaw with his fingers. Juliet pulled back, looked into his eyes, and then kissed him again. James smiled softly after her second kiss, and his thumb followed the same path across her cheek that it always did.

"You ready to climb under these covers and get a good night's sleep?" he asked.

"With you?"

"Yeah, with me."

"Absolutely." said Juliet, with the utmost confidence. James liked that a lot. He grinned and made her laugh when he put both arms around her to pull her down, closer to him. He made room for her, and she settled in. Juliet curled up on her side and pulled his arm over her waist. James held her close, real close, and he sighed quietly and contentedly when Juliet laced her fingers with his. They both laid there and felt the other's bodies against their own, and like the very first time they'd laid like that together, they were thinking of how lucky they were, and how happy they were going to be.

"Baby?" James said quietly.

"What is it?" she replied softly.

"Let's get married." he said.

Juliet grinned and squeezed her hand around his. She'd already agreed to it on the cross country car trip. The quiet excitement in his voice when he said it made her want to agree to it all the time.

"We will." she insisted. She leaned her head back, and he pressed the side of his face against hers.

"I wanna put a ring on your finger." he said. "And I wanna find a little yellow house to keep you in, with a bedroom for Clementine to stay in when she spends the night."

Juliet closed her eyes and pictured it, all of it. She was smiling so hard it made her cheeks hurt.

"And maybe she'll call you Step-Mom."

Juliet groaned. "I'd rather she call me Juliet." she said, making James smile and squeeze her waist.

"Alright, she'll call you Juliet." he said. "And she'll love you, and she'll look up to you. And maybe...maybe after a few years, we can have some babies of our own."

Juliet's heart skipped a beat. That one was new. She turned her head, shifting her body so she could look into James' eyes. He looked back at her, and she could see he was serious.

"Is that what you want?" she asked him.

"That's what I want." he answered. "But only if you want it too. I know you already got more than you signed up for, with a step-kid and all-"

"James." Juliet interrupted him, gentle as always.

"Yeah, baby?"

"I don't think I have an answer for that right now."

"Hey," James said, his tone shifting to one of calm and gentle reassurance. "I don't need an answer right now. And if you never have one, that's okay too. It's just...an hour ago I was sitting in bed, reading to my little girl, and it felt good. It felt _really _good. And I think about what it must have been like, what she looked like when she was just a baby..."

James trailed off, and Juliet remained silent, allowing him to think about what he was saying.

"Listen to me." he said. "You must think a pod person came down and took over my body."

Juliet shook her head. "No." she murmured. It didn't sound crazy to her at all. She knew exactly what was going on. She remembered the way his face used to look, back when they'd lay in bed and talk about about how they'd never meet Clementine or Julian, and how they'd have to be okay with that, that they _were_ okay with that, as long as they had each other. She looked over his face now, and she saw a light in his eyes that she'd never seen before. It made her smile.

"You're happy." she said.

"Of course I'm happy." said James. He tightened his embrace, and kissed her on the cheek. "I got you."

"That's part of it..."

"The biggest part." James insisted.

Juliet twisted her body so that she could fully face him. James adjusted his arm, keeping it draped over her waist. He looked into her clear blue eyes. They were the clearest he'd ever seen, because they could read him, and he could read her. Even when her eyes were clouding over with worry like they were in this particular moment, he could read her.

"I know how important this is for you." she explained. "Being a part of her life."

"And I know Rachel and Julian are a big part of yours."

Juliet sighed sweetly, and she touched the side of James' face. "I feel like we got everything we ever wanted." said Juliet, as her eyes wandered down, past his mouth. Her gaze followed the trail that her hand was taking, down to his chest and over his shoulder. "Our family...each other..."

"You thinkin we shouldn't ask for anything more?" James guessed, though it wasn't really a guess. He knew her too well for guessing.

"I still get worried sometimes." said Juliet. Her eyes found his again, and she gave him a half smile. "You know?"

"I know." said James. "I get worried too. It just reminds me that I gotta live in the moment. Every moment I have with you..."

The rest of that thought was lost in a kiss when Juliet suddenly closed the distance between them. She pressed her lips against his, and she felt his arm squeeze her waist until their bodies were pressed tight against one another. She kissed him hard, and when they parted a moment later, James smirked.

"You trying to shut me up?" he teased.

"No." she said, smiling sheepishly. "I actually allowed myself to picture it again, and I realized-"

"Again?" said James, too surprised by what that implied to not interrupt her mid-sentence.

"Yeah, again." she confirmed. "I used to daydream about it all the time."

"Well ain't that somethin'." James murmured. He smiled, stroked her back and tried to keep any teasing to a minimum. "And what do you see when you picture us having a baby?"

"I see..." Juliet began slowly. She set her hand on his chest, and traced the faded letters on his t-shirt. "A beautiful, healthy baby..." She paused before the next part, glancing up at him with a smirk. "Conceived in a very natural way..."

"I've always loved your attention to detail."

The comment that James snuck in made her chuckle, but she continued without formally acknowledging it. "With two parents that love each other and work so well together that even a hydrogen bomb can't keep them apart..."

"...And? Is this the part where we live happily ever after or do I sense a 'but' in our future?"

"Well...the thing about these parents is they are both broke and jobless, relying completely on the kindness and generosity of those families they were so desperate to get back to."

"Ah." James tilted his head back as he realized what Juliet was getting at. "For now." he added to her thoughts.

"For now." she agreed.

"That's why they're going to take their time with it, not rush into things. They'll figure out the situation soon enough."

"Will they?" asked Juliet.

"Well," said James, echoing her style. "The thing about these parents is, the universe wanted 'em together so bad that even in a world where they were never supposed to meet, they found their way back to each other."

"And this solves the problem of their financial stability...how, exactly?"

"It doesn't." James said simply. "But I'd rather be broke and raising a baby with you than rich and alone."

He pulled her into a hug, and Juliet smiled. She snuck her arms around his waist, and they tucked their heads over each other's shoulders.

"What I mean is, we'll find a way to make it work. We always do. Besides, I didn't mean to make you worry about all that." said James. "I'm not in a rush. I'm just excited to start a life with you. And what happened before, it doesn't matter." James pulled his head back, and cradled her head in his hand. "Everything I did before this-"

"It doesn't matter." said Juliet. She looked into his eyes, all the way into his soul, and she told him not to think about the women and the money and the pain. He was quickly reassured. He nodded, content that Juliet was also at peace.

"That'll go on the back burner." he said of the baby talk. "Better yet, back in the cupboard. Until you're ready, how 'bout that?"

"Sounds good to me." said Juliet.

"How 'bout we talk about something we _are_ ready for. What kind of wedding you want?"

Juliet smiled, faintly at first. It grew bigger the more she thought about it, and though her gaze wandered again, to somewhere only she could see in her mind's eye, James could see the glimmer there, something that amused and excited her as she had another daydream.

"I have a few ideas." she said. The way she said it, and the way she looked at him afterward; he couldn't wait to hear them all.


	11. Every Day It Gets Easier To Believe

_**A/N:** It's been a while! If you've been waiting patiently all these months (years!?) I want to thank you for coming back to see how it all wraps up. If you've just read this all in one sitting, then lucky you, no waiting! :D I hope you enjoy this very special episode of The Women In His Life. I'm planning a short epilogue, so it's not quite goodbye yet. See you again soon!_

* * *

The Women In His Life

* * *

James sat in an expensive, upholstered, egg-shell white arm-chair, and he smoothed the legs of his pants for the hundredth time, even though for the hundredth time they didn't need to be smoothed. The tuxedo was far more expensive than the chair. A very good friend of his had insisted, in his moderate Korean accent, on buying it for him for his big day. He didn't think it was possible to wrinkle the fabric at all, but he was nervous. He'd sat in expensive suits, in expensive chairs before. But this was _real_. What he was about to do was so real for him, he wasn't sure what he was going to do with himself before, during or after.

After staring at the floor for a few more minutes, James glanced up at the only other person in the room. Miles sat on a couch opposite the chair. It was upholstered in the same creamy, clean white as the chair that James occupied. Miles leaned forward with elbows resting on his knees. He was looking at James, as he had been the entire time they'd spent in silence.

"This is fuckin' weird." Miles deadpanned.

James stared at him. Three dead-silent seconds passed before both of them cracked a smile and broke eye contact.

"Upgrade, though." Miles commented, pulling at the lapel of his matching suit. "Definite upgrade."

* * *

Outside, in the back yard of a mansion in Beverly Hills, a five-year-old boy danced with an eight-year-old girl, to a song that neither of them recognized that was being played through an elaborate sound system. In just a few short hours they would become cousins. They were already fast friends.

Kate sat in a white folding chair and she watched the little kids dance, feeling so nostalgic for that age it made her heart ache. Her chair was in the front row, and she felt the familiar urge to escape to a place much further from the action. However, she was Cassidy's date for the event, and Cassidy's daughter was part of the ceremony. They had to sit in the front row.

"This place is ridiculous." Cassidy said quietly, only for Kate's ears. "Everything is so...pristine."

Kate chuckled softly, and glanced up at her best friend. Memories tugged at her mind, memories of her strange relationship with Sun in the years following their escape from the island...but they'd never been to the island in this life. They all simply remembered being there enough for the feelings to be real. At least here and now they could all forgive each other.

"Mama!" Clementine ran over to Cassidy, breathless.

"You better slow down, girl." Cassidy warned her. "You're gonna wear yourself out."

"I'm fine." Clementine said defensively. "Julian has to go to the bathroom."

"You wanna take him inside and find his mother?" Cassidy asked.

Clementine nodded and flashed a gap-toothed grin.

"You know where she is?"

"Yeah!"

"Alright. Don't get lost in there."

"Julian, come on!" Clementine called to him. Julian ran to her, Clementine clasped his little hand and they ran toward the back of the house together.

"Slow down!" Cassidy called out to them. "If you mess up that dress for your father's wedding you'll have to answer to him, young lady!"

Clementine, if she heard her mother at all, ignored her and kept running. Julian was just barely keeping up with her, and Cassidy also worried for the well-being of his tiny tailored suit.

"Why did I say that?" she wondered aloud to Kate. "Her father couldn't discipline her to save his life."

Kate's painful nostalgia was interrupted, and her face was overtaken by a bright smile at the observation. There was something too damn sweet about James' relationship with his daughter. It helped Kate forget about a lot of feelings that wouldn't do her any good to feel.

* * *

A large figure loomed in the doorway of the room where James and Miles waited. James looked up and saw Hurley, and for a moment all of his anxiety disappeared.

"Hugo god damn Reyes." said James. "Look at you!"

"Dude." said Hurley. He paused in the doorway, pressing his lips together. His big cheeks still puffed out when he smiled. Once James stood up to greet him, Hurley walked over and enveloped him in a bear hug.

"Oof!" James laughed and hugged back as much as he could. "Look at you..." he repeated as they separated, marveling at the sight of Hurley in a tailored suit. "I spend half my life stealing other people's money, and now suddenly all my friends are rich."

"Jin and Sun are pretty crazy with the wealth having." Hurley had to admit. "But they're not as rich as me."

"So I hear." said James.

Hurley looked over at Miles, who was still perched on the couch. At that signal of greeting, Miles got up to shake hands with the big man.

"Sir." Hurley greeted him with mock formality.

"Long time no see, Hurley." Miles said as they locked hands and shook. "I think." Miles added with dry uncertainty.

"Good to see you again, either way." Hurley said with a smile. Even Miles had to smile at Hurley's friendly optimism. "Where's the lucky lady?"

James anxiety crept back into his mind, and his face transformed into that of a man going into shock.

"Off in her lady chambers somewhere." James said, his eyes wide. "Having god-knows-what done to her by the powers that be."

* * *

"Rachel, it's fine." Juliet insisted.

"Are you sure?" Rachel asked her worriedly.

"Rachel." Juliet turned from the vanity and looked her sister square in the eye, looking more confident than ever before. "You were at the last wedding. Please stop giving me flashbacks."

"Okay." Rachel said, her doubts put to rest. "Point taken." She looked at her little sister with tender eyes, and she smiled. Confidence and happiness. That's all Rachel had ever wished for her sister. Juliet had both now. They didn't need to over think the hair, or fix her makeup. She looked fine, she felt fine, and if she wanted to go with the natural look...

"Rachel." Juliet said again. "Stop looking at me like that."

Rachel's smile widened. "You're gorgeous." she said. "It's perfect."

Juliet smiled softly. "Thank you." she said, though the second half of the statement was cut off when she heard a young girl's voice call out a hello. The sisters turned to look as Clementine came through the door with Julian.

"I have to pee!" Julian reported, as if it were a matter of grave importance. He wasn't used to wearing a suit.

"Well, let's find a bathroom!" Rachel said to him, because it was the logical thing to do. Rachel stood up and went to him, since he was rooted to the spot for fear of letting go too early. Clementine giggled at the decidedly different dance Julian was performing then. He took his mother's hand, hurrying off to explore that wing of the house. Juliet smiled at Clementine, who lingered in the doorway.

"Can I sit there?" Clementine asked her, pointing to the seat Rachel had just freed up.

"Of course." said Juliet.

"I'll keep you company." the little girl said in her usual happy-go-lucky, outgoing way.

Juliet rested her elbow on the vanity beside her, and rested her temple on a closed fist. "I'd like that." she said. "Thank you."

Clementine settled into her chair, eyeing the unused cosmetics Rachel had set up on the small table top. It looked just like the stuff Cassidy put on before all of her dates. Clementine always asked Aunt Kate why she bothered doing that, but Kate never answered to Clem's satisfaction. It would remain a mystery to her for a little while longer.

"Are you nervous?" Clementine asked after some silence.

"A little." Juliet replied, watching with fascination as Clementine rearranged the little plastic cases.

"Mama said you were prolly nervous." said Clementine. "She said Daddy'll be a nervous wreck, though. Way worse."

The butterflies in Juliet's stomach nearly caused a tornado every time she thought of James. She was worried about saying the right thing to Clementine. Lucky for her, Clementine was a talkative girl.

"I saw him in his suit and he looked sooo handsome. I think I have the handsomest daddy in the whole world. He didn't seem too nervous to me. I dunno." Clementine shrugged, and continued to open every container on the table, inspect it, and close it again. "It's supposed to be fun, right? I only ever been to one other wedding, but I was too young to remember. You're gonna be my step-mom, right?"

"Right." Juliet was able to answer with confidence, grateful for the straightforward question. She was feeling a bit too overwhelmed to answer anything complicated. Kids were apt to ask the tough questions at the most inconvenient times.

"I hope I get a step-dad too. That way it'll be even on both sides. I used to have one, but..."

Juliet wasn't sure if Clementine trailed off due to her short attention span, or if she really wasn't sure how to explain her former family situation. It must have been a while ago, Juliet thought, since Cassidy never mentioned it either. The young girl had inspected every make-up case, and she'd chosen the one that intrigued her the most, swinging her legs excitedly as she picked it up.

"Can I put this on you?" Clem asked, so sweetly that Juliet wanted to say yes. Before she got the chance, Clementine's mother poked her head into the room.

"Clementine." Cassidy said slowly, warning her to put the eye shadow down.

"Mama?" Clementine whispered, begging her to allow it just this one time.

"Did Julian find his mother?" Cassidy asked, not giving her daughter an inch, for fear of the mile that would be taken.

"Yeees." Clementine told her begrudgingly.

"Poor boy was about to pee his pants." Cassidy said to Juliet.

"I noticed." Juliet said wryly.

"Are you buggin' the bride, Clem?" Cassidy asked.

"No!" Clem insisted.

"Not at all." Juliet assured her.

"Well, it's getting to be that time. You better go see Mrs. Kwon and ask her where you're supposed to wait."

A look of excitement took over Clementine's girly features. "I wanna play with Ji-Yeon!"

"You'll have time to play later, you've got a job to do first."

"I'll find 'em both." Clem declared defiantly as she left her seat, the compact still in her hand. Cassidy held her hand out as Clementine passed her, and the little girl placed the compact in her mother's hand with regret for not hiding it better. Cassidy craned her neck and watched Clementine walk down the hallway.

"That girl, in a house full of white furniture..." Cassidy murmured, as she turned to Juliet with a _Lord help us _expression. "I'm not against letting her play with eye shadow, but not on a wedding day. Not with the bride all dressed and ready to go."

Juliet felt a laugh suddenly bubble up from her stomach. The way Cassidy treated Clementine like a bull in a china shop, a dangerous unstoppable machine, hell bent on destroying everything in her path; she found it endearing.

The game of musical chairs continued, and Cassidy took a seat beside Juliet.

"Nice and quiet in here." Cassidy looked at Juliet's reflection in the mirror. "Excited?" she asked. "Nervous? Sick of people asking you questions?"

Juliet chuckled and looked at Cassidy's reflection. "It got a little out of hand with Sun planning it. I appreciate the gesture, it's just..."

Cassidy lowered her voice and leaned closer while still maintaining eye contact in the mirror. "You don't have to be polite with me." she said, with a twinkle in her eye.

In response, Juliet leaned closer too. "I wanted to elope." she whispered. They both chuckled and leaned back. "Being around this many people, with the history we have together...it's surreal."

"Well, you're real." Cassidy placed a hand on Juliet's forearm as proof. "James is real." She gave a light squeeze before she let go. "And you're really getting married."

It was a pep talk from an unlikely supporter, and surprisingly comforting considering the source.

Cassidy glanced at the cosmetics, and echoed Clementine's actions of inspecting each container, though in a much more grown-up, hands-off way.

"It's bringing back memories." Cassidy admitted sheepishly. Afterward she realized how that might sound. She looked up, at the real Juliet, not her reflection. "Not of James." she assured her.

Juliet recalled Clementine's earlier comment about once having a step-father. It connected with Cassidy's cryptic statement, but Juliet didn't feel right asking about it.

"Have you ever been married before?" Cassidy asked her.

Juliet nodded. "Once. It...didn't end well."

"And you want to do it again?" Cassidy raised an eyebrow. "You must really be in love. Or crazy."

"This one feels different." Juliet said with a wry smile. She glanced at her own reflection. The face she saw in the mirror was a distant relative of the naïve girl who had married Edmund Burke. The face that looked back at her was not nervous from uncertainty; she was nervous because she knew that marrying James was what she really wanted, and it was so rare for her to get exactly what she wished for.

Juliet broke eye contact with that changed woman and flashed a quick smile at the woman next to her.

"It _is_ different." she said, and she truly believed.

"Good." said Cassidy, nodding, a faint smile on her lips. "That's good." After a brief pause, she casually reached out for one of the compacts. "I was married once too." she said. Then she smiled softly. She could sense Juliet's eyes looking at her in the mirror. "How do you think I got that house?" she asked, meeting Juliet's eyes in the mirror.

Juliet remained quiet. She'd been wondering about that.

"I met him in the restaurant I'd been workin' at in Albuquerque." Cassidy continued idly. "He was dressed real nice. You could tell he was a big shot business man. I flirted with him, found out he was passin' through on a business trip. I guess I charmed him. It only lasted a couple years. Neither of us were really in _love_. It just...worked at the time. Clem and I needed stability, he wanted a family to take care of. It ended well, I suppose. As well as a marriage can end anyway." Cassidy sighed suddenly and loudly, bringing the wry humor back to the conversation. "He wanted to sleep with other women when he was on the road. At least he was honest about it, right?"

Juliet found herself resting her head on her fist again, and both women laughed at Cassidy's last comment. Cassidy put down the make up and sat up straight, like she'd forgotten where she was and who she was talking to until that moment.

"Listen to me, going on about my failed marriage just minutes before your own wedding."

"No," Juliet protested immediately. "I appreciate you sharing it with me. And hearing about it is keeping me relaxed, oddly enough. Sounds like a party compared to my first marriage."

"There's just something about you that gets me talking, I swear to god. I don't talk about it often, you know. Makes me sound like a gold digger. It was way more complicated than that."

"It always is." said Juliet. "I know sometimes...a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do."

"That's the god's honest truth, ain't it?" Cassidy asked with an appreciative smile. She looked into Juliet's eyes, studying her like Juliet used to study people in Ben's community; like she knew things about her, things she'd been told by a third party about Juliet's life. Here, the scrutiny was accompanied not by pity, but by respect. James had told Cassidy quite a bit about Juliet's earlier struggles, the ones before they'd met and the ones they'd endured together. Like Cassidy, Juliet had been knocked down, but never beaten.

"I'm just thinking about Clementine and stability." Cassidy admitted. "I see her father finally settling down for real, with the right woman. And, you know, aside from being happy for the two of you, I think it'll be really good for Clementine. For all of us."

_James and Juliet, Rachel and Julian, Cassidy, Clementine and Kate. _The whole extended family.

"I think so too." said Juliet. The image of them all getting together for made her smile, amused and happy. With all the strong female survivors, it would be near impossible for Clementine not to turn out alright - and a miracle if James and Julian survived them all too.

"Alright, let me get out of your hair." Cassidy said as she stood. "It's almost time, huh?"

Juliet sat up straight and took a deep breath. "Yeah, almost." she said. She could feel the butterflies return at the thought of being left alone to wait.

"Don't be nervous." Cassidy told her.

Juliet chuckled silently as she stood up. Her guard must have really been down.

"I never thought I'd say this to another woman in my lifetime," Cassidy went on. "But...you're doing the right thing, marrying him."

Juliet hesitated. Cassidy's guard must have been down too; it would not have meant anywhere near as much coming from anyone else.

"You're the only one of us that can keep him in line." Cassidy reminded her, before the moment got too heavy. It relieved the tension and made Juliet laugh.

"It'll be a team effort." she promised Cassidy.

Rachel then appeared in the doorway just in time to see Juliet and Cassidy share a supportive hug. Clementine and Julian were returning as well, and Sun followed close behind. The hostess waited for the two hugging women to disentangle, and she smiled with the anticipatory excitement a party planner gets from telling the guest of honor that the fun was about to begin.

"Are you ready?" Sun asked the bride.

Juliet nodded.

"If you get nervous," Cassidy said softly. "Just remember, James is about to shit his pants."

* * *

James had an audience with Miles and Hurley. He'd never been one for honest chit-chat about his feelings - that was girl stuff, jeez! - but the time spent waiting in that quiet, white-washed room had induced a deep introspection that went on uninterrupted by his friends. All they could do was let him talk; it was quite fascinating for them, really. A man who usually had a sarcastic remark for everything was lost in doom-laden reverie, and all because he was afraid of his own potential for happiness.

"I feel like I had a gun to my head, and I just...stepped away. I'm still waiting for that gun to go off. For her to go away again. For me to lose her."

Miles wasn't sure whether he should keep nodding or stand up and applaud the monologue. He blinked, and realized he too had been lost in the memory.

"Dude." said Hurley. "Shut up and marry her."

"I second that." Miles chimed in.

Jin came to the doorway then, leaning with one hand on the jamb and smiling at the groom.

"It's time." Jin told James. The knowing smile of a happily married man was a nice touch, but James was still nervous. When he stood and walked toward the door, he held his hand out as a test.

"Look at me." James said to his generous host. "I'm shakin' like a leaf."

Jin grinned, and slapped him hard on the shoulder. "You'll do fine."

James walked into the hallway, just in time to see Clementine on her way to meet him. She broke into a run at the sight of him, and jumped into his waiting arms for a big hug.

"You ready, baby?" James asked Clementine, insecurities disappearing as he dropped the shell-shock and slipped easily into the role of confident father.

Clementine nodded. "She looks real pretty." she reported. "You done _good, _Daddy."

"Word." said Miles, raising his hand for a high-five from the princess in James' arms. With a delighted smile, Clementine obliged her honorary uncle, and then it was high fives all around with Hurley and Jin.

* * *

Now that Sun had whisked Clementine away, Juliet waited to be summoned with Rachel and Julian, her maid of honor and their adorable ring bearer.

"Rachel," Juliet whispered, while Julian was too busy goofing around to notice. Rachel could hear in her sister's voice that she was about to freak out.

"I'm right here, babe." Rachel reassured her. She turned from keeping an eye on Julian, and faced her sister so she could hold her gaze. Rachel was ready to shoot down any last-minute doubts. Juliet had kept calm all day, at least with her outward appearance. The fear was just breaking through the façade, filling two eyes that now begged Rachel to knock some sense into her.

"I want this too much." said Juliet. The slight shake of her head said _D__on't listen to me, I don't know what I'm saying right now._

"I wanted a baby too much." Rachel countered. "And you made that happen. You're Superwoman, no one is going to take this away from you. James is waiting, and he wants this just as much as you do. Okay?"

Juliet nodded. She took a deep breath, and seemed to accept Rachel's assurances. But Rachel didn't just want to give assurances. She wanted to stab Juliet's fear right in its heart, set it on fire and stomp all over its remains so Juliet could leave it behind and enjoy her special day, enjoy the rest of the her life without wondering if she was going to lose it all someday. So Rachel placed her hands gently on either side of Juliet's face, surprising Juliet with seriousness.

"When James came knocking on our door, you'd been crying for three days straight because you were convinced you'd died on an island in this dream life that I didn't even believe could be real. I'm going to be honest with you, because I love you and I need you to understand what I'm saying to you right now: I thought you were crazy."

Juliet laughed suddenly. Now she felt silly, and she felt a lump forming in her throat.

Rachel smiled in response but she wasn't done yet. "I'm being serious." she said.

"I know," said Juliet. "That's why I'm laughing."

"I thought you'd lost your mind, okay?" Rachel continued. "And then this James guy actually _shows up._ So, not only did you come back to me, your loving sister, but the love of your life appeared on your doorstep to sweep you off your feet and, you know, _complete _you."

Juliet bit her lip but the lump kept growing. "You're going to make me cry." she whispered.

"This is _not_ the universe setting you up for another fall, Jules. This is the universe correcting itself. It's making up for ever fucking with you in the first place."

Julian stopped climbing the furniture, and his head whipped around at the sound of Mommy's bad word.

"You've gone through all the bad you can take." Rachel told her sister. "All that's left is the good. So, can I get a fuck yeah or should I keep going?"

Juliet giggled and blinked away the happy tears. "Fuck yeah." she said quietly.

"Fuck. Yeah." Rachel repeated under her breath, enthusiastic but very aware of the way her son's ears had perked up. "Now let's get this over with so you can get cake smooshed in your face and live happily ever after."

* * *

There was no processional; they simply entered the scene and met each other halfway. They smiled when they saw each other. Being together had always been the easy part; it was only the time spent apart that made them doubtful. It was also the first time seeing each other all dressed up. It was James' first time seeing Juliet in a dress, for goodness' sake. She had white flowers woven into her naturally curly hair, and her simple, soft flowing dress was the softest shade of pink, striking a perfect balance between the flowers and her skin tone. Sun had used the same color for the pocket square James' jacket. Juliet almost giggled at the sight of him, so fresh and clean and just plain yummy.

They came in on either side of their officiant - Hurley - who stood facing the intimate gathering of guests in the Kwons' backyard. Rachel stood next to Juliet, and Miles next to James. Clementine and Julian stood to the side as well, looking up at the proceedings as if it were a play put on to entertain them.

Sun had suggested Hurley's involvement, and Juliet had taken to the idea instantly. Hurley was the heart of everyone's experience with the island. He was happy here. Everyone seemed happy here, happy to be together again, and some were happy just to be alive.

While Hurley was giving a short introduction to the ceremony, Kate turned in her seat and stole a glance at the yard behind her. The small crowd chuckled at something Hurley said, but she'd missed it. Cassidy turned to get clarification about Hurley's joke - so much of their shared experience went over her head - but Kate's attention was elsewhere. Cassidy followed her eye line and glanced behind them, to see if she could figure out what had stolen Kate's attention.

No one new had shown up. Just the same people as before, all watching the ceremony intently.

"Kate." Cassidy whispered. "Are you gonna be okay if he doesn't show up?"

"Yeah." Kate replied immediately, smiling bravely.

"James and Juliet have written their own vows." Hurley announced to the audience. "LaFleur, you have the stage."

"Thank you, Hugo." James said, nodding in his direction. He turned back to Juliet, giving her hands a squeeze as he held them close together between them. "I gotta go back in time for a minute," James began with a sly smile. Those who were graduates of the Dharma Initiative school of hard knocks smiled, or shook their heads and chuckled. Who of them would have thought it would all end in a wedding?

"There's something I never told you about the little yellow house we shared." said James. He savored the almost imperceptible suspicion in Juliet's expression. They'd kept their vows a secret from each other. "If you looked under the floor boards of the bedroom in that little yellow house, you would find a box. And if you looked inside that box, you'd find a small black pouch. Now," James adopted a warning tone. "That may not sound like much, but let me assure you: it was a very fancy pouch."

Juliet smiled, the way she'd smiled on the sub when he told her he loved her, right before their false-start life had fallen apart.

"Because, hidden inside that little pouch, there was a ring..."

It was too much at once. He'd never told her that. He'd never told _anyone_ about that. Juliet turned her head toward Hurley, looking at the ground next to his feet, hiding her face from the crowd so she could wipe the tears that were running down her cheeks. A handkerchief entered her line of vision, and she laughed, taking it from Hurley with a trembling hand. Looking back at James, who'd paused his speech for her, she pressed her lips together and wiped at a stream that wouldn't be stopping anytime soon. Then she took his hands back, clasped them together around the cloth and told him with a nod that she was ready for him to continue.

"It wasn't just wakin' up with memories that made me wanna marry you." James continued. "I knew back then I wanted to have you with me for the rest of my life. We been through some crazy shit together, and it always worked because you bring out the best in me. I love you and I'm never gonna let go, no matter what."

_Giant magnet be damned_.

Juliet took a deep breath so she could steady her voice. It was her turn.

"James," she said, squeezing his hands tighter. She felt like she might float away if she didn't. "When I thought I'd lost my heart for good, you found it. And when my hand was empty, you showed up, and you were there to hold it." Juliet had to pause, to blink away fresh tears, and to convince herself that it was okay to say these things. It was hard for her to say them out loud, even when they were alone, without thinking that it would jinx them or ruin what they had. "I'd given up on having a normal life, and you were the last person I expected to build one with. As difficult as the last few years have been, I wouldn't give them back or trade them for anything. I love you and I promise I won't let go."

There was more being said with her eyes that only James could understand. They repositioned their hands so they could hold each other tighter, until their knuckles turned white.

_I won't let go. Not this time, or ever again. _

There was a slight pause, so everyone could have a moment for a happy mental sigh. There were just a few more formalities to take care of.

"Clementine, Julian: if you could hand over the rings?" Hurley said, smiling down at the little boy and girl that stood in front of him. Clementine's hand was clasped tightly around them, and she opened it slowly so she wouldn't drop either of them. Julian peered into her hand, and waited for her to choose which one he was supposed to hand to his aunt. He closed his hand into a fist and then extended his pointer finger, onto which Clementine placed the larger of the two bands. She kept the smaller one so she could hand it to her father.

"Here ya go, Daddy." she said, pressing it firmly into his palm, just the way she'd practiced.

"Oh, god dammit." Cassidy whispered to herself. Kate turned to look at her, and saw Cassidy fumbling in her purse for a tissue. She'd sworn she wasn't going to cry. Kate grinned, and reached over to squeeze Cassidy's arm in solidarity.

"Thanks, baby doll." James said to Clementine, taking the ring from her. Julian glanced worriedly at Juliet. He didn't quite grasp why Juliet was crying and smiling at the same time, but she seemed really happy.

"Thank you." said Juliet, taking the other ring from Julian's tiny finger. Now that his job was done, he took a few steps and a jumping leap so he could cling to his mother's side. By then James had taken hold of Juliet's left hand, poised to slip the ring onto her finger. He hesitated, and looked at her with a playfully skeptical expression.

"You got my back?" James asked.

Juliet laughed out loud. "Absolutely." she said, and he pushed the ring the rest of the way down her finger. She sniffled, and then she arched her brow, and gave him one of her seriously sarcastic smirks. "You got mine?" she asked him.

"Abso-friggin-lutely." James replied, sounding absolutely relieved as she put the ring on him. They grinned at each other, and waited for Hurley, but he didn't speak. They turned to him, eyebrows rising expectantly, until Hurley caught on and snapped back into his role.

"Dudes! You're married. You may now totally make out with the bride."

There was applause, and it entered the minds of the newlyweds as an echo from far, far away. James took Hurley's invitation to heart. They were both taking their vows seriously, they really weren't going to let each other go.

"Now let's eat!" Miles shouted, taking the words right out of Hurley's mouth. It was permission for the audience to stand and start mingling. Eventually James and Juliet parted and looked into each other's eyes. They were going to need their shared strength to deal with the tiny mob of people approaching them, all wanting to hug and congratulate them at once.

Jin and Sun were first. They seemed as happy as the newly married couple, and they were thanked for their generous hospitality. While that was happening, Cassidy walked up to tell Clementine what a great job she'd done, and she took the opportunity to re-introduce herself to Rachel and Julian.

Kate hung back as the chairs emptied out and the action gathered around James and Juliet. She took another look around the empty yard behind her, but this time it was not empty. Near the corner of the house, where the driveway led out to the front of the property, there was a lone figure watching the proceedings. He stood there with his hands in his pants pockets, in the remains of a casual suit, like he'd just stopped by after a long day of work. He was clean-shaven and his hair was longer, but Kate recognized him instantly. She didn't believe it at first, thinking perhaps that she was imagining things and if she blinked, the image of him would change into a stranger. He had apparently already spotted her. Before Kate was even convinced he was real, he smiled sheepishly and raised one hand in greeting.

Kate put a hand to the top of her head, her brain about to burst with relief and the stress and the happiness of seeing him again. "Shit." she muttered to herself. "Oh my god." Her heart was lifting like a little hot air balloon, ready to fly but still tied down by all the questions she had. She was about to get all the answers.

Cassidy turned to check on Kate, but her seat was empty. Cassidy scanned the yard, and saw her walking up to the man near the corner of the house.

"Well I'll be damned." Cassidy said aloud. She wasn't sure how she felt about this, but it was happening whether she wanted it to or not. They'd survived James coming back into their lives, surely they'd be able to handle Jack Shephard.

"Who's that?" Rachel asked her, watching curiously. To Rachel, the man was just another stranger, vaguely connected to Juliet's life through a series of strange tales.

"I'm not really the one to ask," Cassidy said apologetically. "It's-"

"A long story?" Rachel guessed. She'd been promised quite a few of those today.

"Is there any other kind with these people?" asked Cassidy.

* * *

Once the throng cleared and the guests began to gravitate toward the buffet, Juliet had a clear path of vision to the back of the house, and she saw the same reunion that Cassidy had witnessed. Without looking away, Juliet reached for her husband's hand and hoped silently for good news. As James turned to look, a short blonde girl with a baby in her arms rounded the corner of the house and joined Jack and Kate. Even from that far away they could see an ecstatic smile light up Kate's face.

James squeezed Juliet's hand, and she turned to look at him. They smiled knowingly.

"Think he'll make a toast?" James asked.

"Only if Kate asks him to." Juliet deadpanned.

"That reminds me: I'm hungry." James teased her. He pulled her gently toward the feast that Sun had laid out for them.

Every day it became a little easier to believe in a happy ending. They knew Kate, Jack and Claire would join them when they were ready.


	12. Good News: an epilogue

_A/N: ...and by 'short epilogue' I mean longer than most of the chapters in this story. This is the end, my friends! Love to all for reading. It would be a treat to know what you thought of it all. _

* * *

On the day of the wedding, Hurley said he wanted to hire James as his personal 'bullshit detector'. Hurley had a lot of money, and with every bank account came a frightening number of ways in which people could take advantage of him. He wanted a close friend in the position, someone he could trust implicitly.

"You really trust me?" James asked. He gave Hurley a skeptical look. "I'd think you of all people should know not to..."

"Hey, man. You've got Juliet to answer to now. We all know who wears the jumpsuit in that relationship." Hurley smiled impishly. "Not to mention you've got a daughter, and a baby mama..."

"Oh, Hugo. You know just how to manipulate me."

"Seriously, though. Let's just call it 'using your god-given talents for good'. And do you know anyone else who would pay you this much without asking for a resume?"

"You've always been a little crazy, ain'tcha?"

"Oh. There are a few stories I could tell."

James watched Hurley's chubby cheeks get rounder as he smiled a mysteriously wise smile. Damn, they were both so different than when they'd first met.

"You'll think about it though, right?" said Hurley, softening the pitch. "I don't want to be swindled."

The confession, spoken so honestly, sounded like the innocent Hurley that James had met on the island.

"Who would know more about how to avoid being swindled than a professional swindler?" Hurley asked.

"Ex." James said quickly.

"Ex-swindler." said Hurley. "Sorry." he added sheepishly. James shook his head slightly, letting Hurley know he wasn't - he couldn't be - upset with him. He understood what Hurley meant. The big guy spoke the truth.

It was either that or manage a Chicken Shack.

* * *

Four months after the wedding, Cassidy and Kate took their business idea and presented it to some investors. The presentation was made a little less stressful since the investors were close friends. In some ways they were as close as family.

The lights came on in Sun's living room. Jack blinked, adjusting to the new illumination, and watched Kate on the other side of the room. She fiddled with the laptop that held the visual presentation, and she brought up the introductory slide so she and Cassidy would be ready to answer any questions. When Kate finally glanced over at him, Jack was wearing one of those proud smiles that made Kate feel embarrassed, happy and loved all at the same time. She smiled sheepishly and shook her head. Jack had already agreed to give her as much start up money as she wanted, but Kate, along with Cassidy, had insisted on giving them the full presentation. They didn't just want money thrown at them. They wanted to know that the idea would work.

Sun sat down next to Jack and smiled at the presenters. "I'm impressed." she said.

"Do you like the name?" Cassidy asked. "Does it work?"

Sun's smile widened at the woman's straight forward approach. Cassidy didn't want compliments, she wanted feedback. Sun, chairperson of the Paik Industries board of directors, could appreciate that. So she turned her attention to the slide that Kate called up and studied it with a critical eye.

"Support For Single Moms." Sun read out loud. "I do like it. Though it might be better to have an acronym that forms a simple word, one that could be spoken."

Cassidy nodded. "Write that down." she stage-whispered to Kate.

"And maybe..." Sun thought for a moment. "Maybe there is some way to convey the other facets of the program. There are so many good ideas here, I don't want it to be seen as a one-dimensional charity or a handout. The community-building concept, the idea of a support network..."

"We don't want to exclude two-parent households." Cassidy cut in excitedly, seeing where Sun was headed.

"Exactly!" said Sun. "There is a wealth of resources we could tap into. The focus will remain on the women and children that most need the support-"

"But we need to highlight the community, the network." Cassidy finished. She looked over at Kate with a big smile. If Sun was on board, they must have been doing something right.

"You boys have anything to add?" Kate asked, directing her question to Jack, and to Hurley who sat on the other side of the room.

"This might sound like a cop out," Hurley warned. "But I agree with everything Sun is saying. You ladies are on the right track. We just have to get the word out."

Kate looked to Jack, raising her eyebrows when he hesitated.

"You know I'm already on board." he said. He got a look from Cassidy as well, which made him laugh. "You care a lot about this." he told them. "In my experience, that means all the details will come together."

The most important thing would be to get the message out, to connect with the women they wanted to help and let them know that help was there. They needed grants, sponsors, and most importantly they needed locations - and they knew just where to start.

* * *

After a lot of soul searching - and realizing that she had too much experience and too much passion to give up on her life's work - Juliet found a free clinic that was in need of a strong, compassionate and open-minded doctor. It serviced women and teenage girls who could not afford health care, or just needed a safe place to go. It was about giving them the power to choose what they wanted to do and where they would do it.

A seventeen-year-old girl arrived for her appointment a few minutes early, and was invited to wait in the examination room until Dr. Carlson was ready to see her. Her name was Layla and she'd seen Juliet once before, when she'd had a pregnancy scare. It turned out that she had not been pregnant after all, but Juliet urged her to come back for a follow up, if only for emotional support and advice.

"Layla?" Juliet's soft voice came through the closed door after a polite knock. She found her patient sitting on the exam table, swinging her crossed ankles and smiling shyly. "Hi." Juliet greeted her warmly, happy to see her back in the office. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah," said Layla. "I just thought I should get a normal check-up."

Juliet nodded. "Good." she said with a smile.

"Um..." Layla hesitated. "I have a new boyfriend too, so...I wanted to ask about birth control."

"Okay..." Juliet nodded again, stalling as she took a seat in a swivel chair next to the table.

"It's good to be proactive, right?"

"Right." Juliet agreed. "I'm glad you're thinking ahead this time."

Layla chuckled silently at the friendly twinkle in Juliet's eye. She'd been quite a mess the last time Juliet saw her. The clinic was one of the few places Layla felt truly safe and respected.

"Is he a good guy?" Juliet asked as she turned to a computer station and called up Layla's information. Juliet took it as a good sign when Layla smiled. She even blushed a little.

"Yeah. He's the sweetest."

Juliet's smile brightened. "Good." She twisted in her seat, eyes lingering on the computer screen as her lower body turned to Layla. Her white coat fell open, at an angle that revealed the true shape of her stomach.

"Dr. Carlson?"

Juliet turned to her patient with an expectant look. Layla looked surprised.

"I'm gonna feel stupid if you're not," the younger girl began. "But...are you pregnant?"

"Oh." Juliet glanced down at her small but growing belly. Her hand went to cover it, an automatic protective gesture.

"Sorry." Layla said, still sheepish.

"No, it's fine." Juliet assured her.

"I won't tell anyone, if it's a secret." said Layla.

Juliet realized she was now the one with the shy, guarded smile. "It's not a secret." she said. "I just haven't told many people yet. I guess I won't be able to hide it for much longer, will I?"

"You shouldn't hide it," said Layla. The right side of her mouth curved up in a shy half smile. "It's cute."

Juliet's smile widened. To her relief, James had said the same thing. He actually found it quite sexy.

"Do you know if it's a boy or a girl?" Layla asked.

"Not yet." Juliet answered her patient. "But we find out very soon."

* * *

The following week, Juliet sat in her doctor's office with James by her side, her growing belly exposed for an ultrasound.

"Juliet, I'm surprised you aren't doing this yourself."

The doctor winked at his patient, and Juliet chuckled softly to herself.

"James needs me to hold his hand." she joked.

"You ain't lyin', Blondie." James muttered, shifting nervously in his chair. Juliet reached for him, and she felt his large hand close around hers.

She watched the screen, both she and the other doctor in the room knowing she'd be able to figure it out for herself.

"You want to tell him, or should I?" her doctor asked. His sly smile didn't go unnoticed by James, but James couldn't tell what it meant. Juliet turned to look over her shoulder at him, beaming a proud smile his way. James was holding his breath; he'd love his baby no matter what, but this was his first time experiencing all the other firsts of having a baby. He never thought he'd get to this place but here he was nonetheless, squeezing his wife's hand, waiting for her to tell him.

"It's a boy." she said.

"Oh, thank you Jesus." James breathed out, only half joking.

* * *

"You said _what_?" Cassidy shot an amused look at James. He'd just arrived at Cassidy's house with Juliet. They were all gathering to celebrate baby news among other things, and she knew James well enough to be slightly offended.

"What's the matter, James?" Rachel asked in a winking tone when she heard the story. "Too much estrogen in your life?"

James chuckled and prepared a sarcastic remark. Julian chose that moment to run into the room, imaginary guns blazing. He made gunshot noises as he bolted toward James, the only grown man in the house. As Julian rushed at him, James scooped him up and held him under one arm like a tiny sack of potatoes. Julian went limp, enjoying the game.

"Is Aaron here yet?" James asked the room. "I've got an army to build."

After receiving warm hugs from Cassidy and Rachel (they touched her belly too, but it was all right - they were family), Juliet went to the kitchen with the food they'd brought for the party. She found Kate there, alone as she usually liked to be when there were crowds gathering. Though this wasn't Clementine's birthday party; Kate was definitely a part of this little community, their unconventional extended family, and she spent a lot less time brooding than she used to.

"Hey." Kate said when she saw Juliet.

"Hey." Juliet replied. There was only a distant shadow of the akwardness they used to experience with each other. They hesitated, and then realized they both hesitated. Their shy smiles widened, and Kate moved toward her friend.

"Congratulations." she said, wrapping her arms lightly around Juliet's shoulders.

"Thanks." said Juliet, accepting the hug and wrapping an arm around the smaller woman's waist.

"A boy, huh?" Kate moved back and took the bags from Juliet's other hand. "Was he relieved?"

"In a joking, but not really joking sort of way..." Juliet nodded. "Yeah."

Kate laughed. "He _is_ ridiculously outnumbered."

"I have to keep telling him - Jin, Miles and Hurley don't count." Juliet deadpanned before she smiled.

Kate drew a breath, and she almost remarked how it was a miracle they were all together again. With Juliet, she didn't have to say it. She knew.

"Did Jack say whether he was coming...?" Juliet asked instead.

Kate nodded. "He's working now, but he'll be by later."

"That's great." Juliet said, soft and supportive. Even more than Kate, Jack seemed to be having trouble coming back to the group.

"He has to," Kate remarked with a shrug. "He's bringing the champagne."

* * *

Jack popped open the bottle soon after he arrived. After making sure everyone of age that was not pregnant had a glass, Cassidy shushed the room. She had something important to say.

"Obviously, we wouldn't be gathered here right now unless things were going really well for us. First of all, in case you got here later, James and Juliet found out today that they're having a boy."

Sun's face lit up and she looked to the blonde couple with an excited grin. Jin was by her side, with Hurley next to him.

Jack's reaction was more subdued. There was a distant sadness in him, but when Juliet dared to look at him to gauge his reaction, she could see he really was happy for them.

"I won't say who in polite company," said Hurley. "But I believe a few of you owe me some money."

Kate looked over at James, who was seated on the couch with Juliet, Clementine wedged snugly in between them.

"Please tell me that's not why you were relieved." Kate asked of him.

"You think I'd bet against my son?" James asked, wounded.

"But that's not the only good news!" Cassidy interrupted before they got any further off track. She let the collective laughter subside before she continued. "Kate and I really want to thank everyone for believing in us and forking over the cash to help us start on this little journey. Our grants have all come through and I think we'll be self-sustaining much sooner than we thought. Now, um...I've gotten to know a lot of you through Kate, and through James. I still don't believe half of what ya'll supposedly went through, but it says a lot that you're all here together, still friends and family after all of it."

The impact of Cassidy's words was multiplied for Kate when she felt Jack's hand on her lower back. She looked up at him, thanking him wordlessly for being there. Then she reached behind her back and pulled his arm the rest of the way around her waist so she could wrap her arms around him too.

"Okay," said Cassidy after the room's moment of silent reflection. "I guess that's all I needed to say."

Sun raised her glass to Cassidy and Rachel. "To single mothers." she said with a smile, turning to include Claire as well.

"And married ones." Rachel smiled back at Sun.

"To _all _the women in our lives." Jin added.

"And the boys too!" Clementine chimed in, too excited about her little brother to think of anything but.

"Yeah, boys!" Julian agreed from the living room floor, where he was wrangling toy cars and lettered blocks for Aaron and Ji-Yeon's less dextrous hands.

"I love these kids." Miles declared. He was sitting on the floor with them, picking up wherever Julian needed help.

Everyone took a sip, some longer than others, and the party resumed with the din of smaller conversations. Juliet touched her stomach absent-mindedly, feeling Clementine's fingers brushing her own. Sometimes, big sister would reach over and pat her little brother gently, protectively.

"Is he kicking yet?" James asked his daughter. Not yet, she reported. James told her to keep checking, because you never knew when it might happen.

Juliet looked over at James, and they caught each other's gaze. There was no doubt about it. This new child was going to be loved.


End file.
